[5] One of Midway's earlier controversies was in 2015, where the bar was noted for attracting various older individuals engaging in theft and other illegal activity at night amongst a mostly-student population.

[6] Through the early 2020s, Midway was consistently cited by the Columbus Division of Police for various violations, notably serving alcohol to persons under 21, robbery, and noise complaints.

Midway refuted that Jeffery's accounts were inaccurate and that the bar should not be associated with other groups nearby the property engaging in illegal activity; A&R further hired local audio technicians to refute claims made against them that their music was being heard as far away as the Columbus suburb of Clintonville, complaints which residents of the northern Columbus neighborhood have made since 2018.

The 7,000 square foot project, dubbed the Block on 13th, was proposed by Alshahal's company to reduce crowding at both bars, give patrons a rooftop, and provide Ohio State student organizations an additional venue and establishment for events.

[12][13][14] The proposal received criticism from commissioners on the University Impact District Review Board, who expressed concerns about the bar's previous noise-level complaints.

To mitigate these concerns, A&R and project architect Tim Lai stated that the new building would include vinyl curtains and a fabric roof.