The West Side Greyhound and Barons Bus terminal that was the source of backlash from customers and neighbors almost as soon as it opened was the site of a shooting that left one man dead Sunday night.
City officials said the crime is further proof that the site is not safe or suited to mass transit.
The city attorney’s office filed an injunction to close the bus terminal, which is located at 845 North Wilson Road, in August, calling it a nuisance. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said the site has code and sanitary violations.
“And unfortunately, a tragic event where someone lost their life due to murder does obviously play into the safety side,” Klein said. “But police are called there on a regular basis. It is not a safe place.”
Klein said the fatal shooting strengthens the city’s case that the terminal should be shut down.
“The reality is not only are the passengers of the bus services suffering, but so are the adjacent neighbors who live around the bus station,” Klein said.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther echoed Klein’s sentiments in a statement Monday, saying, “The bottom line is Barons/Greyhound has been operating without a Certificate of Occupancy, and last night’s violence is another example that the current site is not appropriate for a bus station.”
The terminal in a former gas station opened in June after a downtown location closed. The city had taken legal action against the downtown terminal as well, calling it “crime plagued."
The city and bus lines were sent to court-ordered mediation ahead of a possible injunction hearing in November.
Klein said the city wants to work with the bus lines to find a new location that suits everyone better – preferably not in a residential neighborhood and somewhere close to local bus lines, so passengers can get where they need to go.
“We want to make sure we have a safe spot that is suitable for mass transit and dozens, if not hundreds, of people coming and going from the bus service,” Klein said.
Greyhound Bus and Barons Bus have not responded to requests for comment.
In Sunday’s shooting, police arrested 26-year-old Jibril Kim, who is charged with murder. As of Monday afternoon, police have not identified the victim.
