White Plains building residents face elevator problems again
This is the third time News 12 has covered the building's elevator issues in the past two years.
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Residents of 86 DeKalb Ave. in White Plains reached out to News 12 on Wednesday for the third time in two years over reoccurring elevator issues.
The building is 13 stories high with 167 units.
The 11th and 12th floors are reserved for the elderly.
Around three weeks ago, residents say the left elevator stopped working and has not been fixed since.
This means residents can either wait for the other elevator or take the stairs to get home.
For some residents, it's too much.
"I'm disabled. I just came from dialysis and I can't walk," said resident Janice Scott-Thompson, who has lived in the building for more than 35 years.
"Sometimes I'm afraid to leave the building because I don't know what I might come back to," said resident Louisa Cohen, who has lived in the building for 35 years.
She told News 12 that she has used her walker to hike up the stairs on multiple occasions to get to her fifth-floor apartment.
Resident Yaribel Luciano who has lived in the building for 29 years, says between overall maintenance issues, packages being stolen, and the front door remaining unlocked, the elevators is just one of the many issues she and others face daily.
"It's frustrating. We're people, too," said Luciano.
This is the third time News 12 has covered the building's elevator issues in the past two years.
A building spokesperson responded to the elevators with the following statement:
"One of two elevators serving the community is fully operational. The second elevator broke down on Sept. 19 and requires significant repair. The parts needed to complete the repair were ordered immediately, but unfortunately, they have not yet arrived because they are being imported from overseas. We expect to make the elevator fully operational as soon as the parts are delivered to our contractor.
We appreciate the patience residents have shown during this process. For the long-term, we expect to completely replace both elevators with modern, reliable equipment in 2026."
Regarding the other claims, the spokesperson added this:
"Our team works hard every day to resolve maintenance issues as they arise. We encourage residents to immediately bring concerns to the attention of management so that they can be addressed as soon as possible."
