Lowell apartment residents finally getting working elevators back after several weeks

LOWELL, Mass. — It is an old mill building with a modern-day problem. For the past several weeks, residents of the Francis Gatehouse have not been able to count on the structure’s elevator.

“When they did try to fix it, it worked for a little bit,” said ‘Deb,’ a resident of the building. “And then I guess the maintenance guy says it burns out.”

This is a bigger deal than you might think. The Francis Gatehouse, run by the Lowell Housing Authority, is home to about a hundred elderly and disabled residents. It’s also four floors high.

“I have to go down four flights to get to the laundry room,” said a resident named ‘Betty.’ “It’s just ridiculous.”

And, some suggest, it’s even dangerous.

“There’s some that are quadriplegics and things like that,” said Deb. “And they can’t get downstairs at all. So they’ve been stuck in their apartment for a while.”

Tha Chhan, executive director of the Lowell Housing Authority said the elevator had the propensity to heat up -- and then malfunction. He learned about the problem about two weeks ago, but some residents tell Boston 25 News the elevator’s been on the fritz for a month.

In any case, an elevator repair crew was at the Francis Gatehouse Tuesday morning -- and expected to get the lift up and running within a day or two. Chhan blamed the delay in fixing the elevator on the need for a part.

“We got the part we need and the company’s working on it right now,” he said. “The health and safety and security of our residents is front and center for us here.”

Delays in elevator repairs are not uncommon. The National Association of Elevator Contractors told Boston 25 News that supply chain issues have hit their business, just like many others. In addition, there’s a shortage of workers -- and there are some older elevators out there that just can’t be fixed.

Chhan said the elevator in the mill building is actually relatively new -- and was next scheduled to be inspected in nine years.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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