Spotlight on: How Boards Can Lessen Inconvenience When Replacing an Elevator
March 26, 2015 — When it comes to making capital improvements, co-op and condo boards understand perhaps better than anyone else that timing is everything. A major project, such as replacing the elevators — especially when you have only one — requires a lot of planning, a lot of coordination, a lot of money, and a lot of damage control. When a building's elevator is out of service, residents complain — and rightfully so. But when you have to not only spend a lot of money that might make shareholders and unit-owners feel a little nervous and take the elevator offline so that work can begin… well, residents are probably going to complain some more.
There are steps a board can take, however, to reduce inconvenience and keep tempers from flaring up too much.
That's where timing comes in. For example, the board may try to schedule the project for summer or winter — because, depending on building's culture, many residents tend to go away on vacation. But not all of them go away, and having to climb up several flights of stairs on a steamy hot day or while bundled up in six layers of winter gear is nobody's idea of good time. Scheduling work for spring or fall, therefore, is a better alternative.
Keep Them Informed
Send out an email blast letting building residents know that the time has come to replace, renovate, and/or modernize the elevator. Let them know what's wrong with the elevators (even if you think it's obvious) and why the board is preparing to tackle the capital improvement project.
Continue to keep building residents in the loop. Elevator modernization projects involve months of planning, so take advantage of the lead-time and use it to your advantage. Hold a shareholders' meeting as soon as you select a contractor, which is usually about three months before work begins, and break down the preliminary schedule for them step by step. Elevator modernization projects generally take six to eight weeks to complete, which means that the elevator will be out of commission all that time, plus the period during which you are waiting for an inspection by the city.
Tell them, too, to keep an eye out for updates, which will include any changes to the schedule that are necessary to make. You never know when a missing part or any complication can cause unanticipated delays.
Be prepared to either hire extra porters and doormen, or schedule more hours of overtime for the ones already on staff. Let residents know when extra staff will be available to help carry groceries or strollers upstairs. If elderly residents need assistance climbing stairs, get an extra porter.
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To learn more about what goes into upgrading an elevator, click here.