COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)–On Wednesday, Columbus city attorney Richard Pffifer asked for a court order to close a Hilltop apartment building.

Police tell NBC4 they know that building is a haven for crime, including drugs and prostitution.

The apartment building is located on Sullivant Avenue, near the Westgate neighborhood.

The city of Columbus has been building a case to shut down the apartment building for almost two years.

It alleges owner Gordon Rankin has done little to curb the criminal activity that led to multiple investigations and sting operations by Columbus police.

Among the crimes investigated at the apartment building is a complaint filed in December 2015 for solicitation,

And just last month, on January 18 and 25, narcotics were purchased in one of the units here.

Westgate resident Ed Horne says the crime isn’t a surprise, given how rundown Sullivant Avenue and surrounding streets have become in recent years.

“I travel up and down Sullivant every say to go to work and you see prostitutes out every day. I pass a police substation, so they should be able to see it too.”

In addition to criminal activity, the city attorney’s case also includes several code enforcement violations.

“I think there’s more that can be done that’s not being done,” Horne said.

The community is encouraged to testify about this nuisance property during the preliminary hearing on March 4 at 9 a.m. in Franklin County Municipal Court.

NBC4’s Candice Lee visited two listed addresses for Rankin, but he was not there at the time of the visit.