Hi! I have these 2 interior doors that sit next to each other with about 5 inches of space in between. There are other houses in my condo complex who have converted these 2 doors into 1 single opening and I would like to do the same to make the area look cleaner, especially with door casing/trim.

That being said, I am hoping that I don't need to remove a lot of the center "column" area to make space for a new door but I also think I might need to frame it up.

The closets currently house a linen/cleaning product space and the tank water heater which cannot move. The wall in between the two closets (behind the column) seems to be a thick plywood construction that does not reach the ceiling so it is not load-bearing (image 4).

I am asking advice on my next steps and what I should research. Thank you in advance!