Residents of a South Bend senior apartment complex have gone five weeks without service in the building’s only elevator.
Leroy Cobb Jr. said Monday that this is the third time the elevator has broken down in the two years he’s lived at Heritage Place at LaSalle Square — but it’s the first time repair has taken this long.
“First time, [it took] maybe two or three days,” Cobb said. “Second time, maybe two or three days. But this has been five weeks now.”
Cobb said the lack of service is a major safety concern for the building’s residents, all of whom are over age 55 and many of whom have disabilities.
“Most of these people — I’d say two thirds of them — can’t climb up and down the steps,” he said. “I live on the fourth floor, and I know when I get up to that fourth floor, I’m tired.”
Representatives from the Sterling Group, which manages the property, say they’re waiting on a back-ordered part to start repairs.
Assistant Vice President of Marketing Tara Smith said the company has been trying to source the part through different contractors and manufacturers, but has run into supply chain delays.
“If there was anything we could do — money isn’t the issue — we would hands-down do it,” she said. “If somebody could find the part from another company and we can use it, we’re all for it.”
In the meantime, Smith said the onsite management team has been working to keep residents updated and make accommodations for the elevator’s absence.
“We post the doors and send out emails to try and keep them up-to-date and in the loop. We’re taking laundry up and down the stairs — groceries, deliveries,” she said. “There’s chairs on every level so that if someone needs to take a break, they can take that breather there.”
However, some residents aren’t satisfied with Sterling Group’s response.
Cobb said he hasn’t received any communication from management beyond weekly notices posted to his door. He said the lack of elevator service has also created issues for the building’s maintenance crew.
“The hallways are filthy, the steps are filthy,” Cobb said. “There’s trash all piled up in the areas where you’re supposed to dump your trash. Nothing’s been done about that.”
Smith couldn’t offer a firm timeline for repairs, but said contractors have told her it could be at least a couple more weeks before elevator service is restored.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
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