Receiver appointed to oversee improvements at Colonial Village

A receiver has been appointed for the troubled Colonial Village apartments to oversee improvements to what has been a complex plagued by crime and hazardous living conditions.

Robert J. Weiler Sr., the long-time Columbus developer, has been appointed to manage improvements to the 508-unit complex at 1256 Rand Ave., off East Livingston Avenue on the city’s East Side.

“I see my role, number one, as preserving the assets. Not letting it get any worse,” Weiler said. 

“The number one concern for the city is safety and removing the crime element,” he said.

Once court-mandated improvements are made, the property will be sold, according to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein’s office.

Apex Colonial acquired the property in March 2020. In August 2021, a judge declared the property a public nuisance. Before Apex bought the property, city inspectors found hundreds of violations, including bed bugs, rodents, water and fire damage, a lack of utilities, missing and inoperable smoke detectors, bare and rotted wood and door framing, clogged gutters, mortar voids and damaged concrete and siding, potholes, exposed wiring, broken light fixtures and unsecured vacant units, according to the city attorney’s office.