COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The City of Columbus has sued a Hilltop market in an effort to declare it a public nuisance over alleged prostitution and drug activity.
According to the city attorney’s office, the Property Action Team filed a lawsuit against the owners of Rosco’s Market, located at 2500 Sullivant Avenue in the Hilltop. The motion was filed Thursday for a requested hearing to have the store shut down permanently.
The City Attorney’s Office said the market, which sits a few blocks away from Burroughs Elementary School, has been a haven for prostitution, drug-related activity, violence and other crime in recent years.
Columbus police have reportedly conducted numerous covert prostitution investigations, made multiple drug arrests and the city has received several community complaints about frequent loitering by sex workers in the store’s parking lot.
“We want small businesses to succeed, but not at the expense of the health and safety of the communities they operate in,” City Attorney Zach Klein said.
Additionally, officers have witnessed or responded to reports of robberies, drug and sexual activity, solicitation and violence over the past two years. Court documents indicate the property is a site of routine illegal dumping.
The market itself fell victim to crime, when a woman was suspected of stealing thousands of dollars in jewelry and lighters in 2022.
The Property Action Team also noted several code violations related to Ohio liquor laws, fire-prevention, and other state and local codes, including unsanitary conditions and violations on the exterior of the building and in the parking lot.
The market was further cited by the Columbus Division of Fire for three fire code violations during an August inspection. A re-inspection found the same three violations were not remedied.
