Crews have begun tearing down the vacant, former Latitude Five25 apartments on Columbus’ Near East Side, marking the end for the problem-plagued towers.
A high-reach excavator was seen dismantling one of the towers’ peaks on May 18. Joey Loewendick with contractor S.G. Loewendick & Sons previously told The Dispatch that the demolition process is expected to take roughly 80 working days, or 16 weeks, as the excavator gradually chips away at the buildings from top to bottom.
Loewendick also said the demolition process will have no impact on the site’s surrounding roads.
Global investment firm Nuveen Real Estate bought the landmark high-rises, formerly a public housing complex known as Sawyer Towers, in late 2025 for $7 million. The twin buildings had sat empty for years after they were evacuated on Christmas Day 2022, following a period of no electricity and heat, bursting pipes and nonworking elevators.
Nuveen’s plans for the roughly 7-acre Sawyer Boulevard site include an eight-building, 380-unit apartment complex for seniors and families, according to a project description provided to the city. A company spokesperson told The Dispatch in an email in April that amenities should include a fitness center, classrooms, computer labs, two playgrounds, a basketball court and community gathering spaces.
The spokesperson said at the time that structural demolition is expected to wrap in the fall, and Nuveen is hoping to start construction in early 2027.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Demolition of Latitude Five25 towers begins, expected to last months
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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