NORTHAMPTON — After being in a state of disrepair for half a year, one of the two elevators at the Walter Salvo House is back up and running.
The elevator first broke down in March, raising frustrations among residents about health and safety at the Northampton Housing Authority (NHA) property on Conz Street.
When the building’s second elevator broke down for hours in June, many residents cited ongoing concerns ranging from elevator reliability to pest infestations and maintenance issues.
“There are people who are really bad off trapped up there — [residents who are] bedridden or with wheelchairs and walkers … on the sixth and seventh [floors], they’re unlikely to get out,” said resident and mobility scooter user Larry Millet the day neither elevators were working. “I’m on the second floor and I can’t make it up to my apartment.”
At the time of the second elevator’s breakdown in June, NHA Executive Director Sharon Kimble explained that she had secured door replacement through a capital request, which was expected within a few weeks.
In an interview Wedensday afternoon, Kimble explained that KONE Elevators’ attempts to repair the elevator’s damaged components — its door controller and operating transformer — were unsuccessful in June, prompting the burdensome process of trying to acquire replacement parts. The total repair is expected to exceed $40,000, she said.
“Time just kept going on. We kept coming up against obstacle after obstacle. It was horrible,” Kimble said. “Once the manufacturer components were completed, received and installed, that’s when KONE was able to complete the final repairs.”
Reflecting on the second elevator’s breakdown in June, Kimble explained that the NHA always had a plan in place in the event of an elevator’s failure.
Jim Nash, a member of the NHA board of commissioners, said in an interview Wednesday morning that the housing authority has plans to replace both of the Salvo House’s elevators in the near future. He said the elevator stood as a “fine example” of why capital improvements projects need to be started and completed in a timely manner.
“I believe we’re replacing both elevators, and that it’s going to be quite a big expense. That and it’s too bad we weren’t able to do it about five to 10 years sooner,” Nash said. “You want to be in front of things like this break, because it created a real hardship for folks over there.”
Expressing relief and excitement that the elevator has been fully repaired, Kimble thanked her team for its work.
“My team did a great job under the stress of all the people saying a lot of negative things about us in the press, and I understand that that happens. I feel that working here and actually being front-and-center, we did the best we could with what we had,” Kimble said. “If we had to do it again, this is how we would have to do it. I don’t think I would do anything different. We had an emergency plan in-hand, we stayed on top of communication with KONE and and on top of communication with the board and the tenants.”
