Phase I Elevators Get “Modernized”

There are four elevators in Phase I - two in the main building and one in each tower.   They are now over 20 years old, and our existing models we have are no longer being made.

Otis, the supplier of the elevators, informed us last summer that there are no new parts for critical assemblies controlling the elevators.  That is, if one of the electronic or other key components breaks, we cannot get a replacement from Otisl  Note: We might be able to find a used part, but that's not guaranteed and not really a desirable solution to the problem.

We had a service agreement with Otis giving us "business hours" coverage and most -- but not all -- parts.  The worst part of what Otis told us last summer is that, owing to the "end of life" age of the elevators, they are unwilling to renew the maintenance contract for 2023.  We'll need to pay a la carte prices for parts and labor.  Anyone with a very old used car knows what that means.

The Phase I Vigilance Committee (both last years and this years) unanimously agreed that we needed to upgrade, and Otis presented us with a "modernization" package which replaces controllers, motors, cables ... essentially everything other than the cab, doors and rails.  Not only will that give us access to state-of-the-art electronics, but also more efficient motors which promise to use 30% less power.  We also got a killer warranty and 24/7 response times (not "business hours" as before).  This will reduce costs and increase reliability ... and avoid being stranded with non-functioning elevators for long periods of time.  (The lead time on new elevators is at least 6 months!)

Installation Schedule

Otis tells us that it takes about a month per elevator to do the upgrades.  They plan to do two at a time -- using two crews working in parallel.  In [June ... to be confirmed], they will take one of the tower elevators and one of the elevators in the main building out of service.  In  [August ... to be confirmed], they will "modernize" the other tower elevator and the remaining elevator in the main building.

Owners in the Towers who plan to rent or use their Units during the summer should keep a close watch on the schedule and plan around elevators being offline for several weeks.  This is particularly important for those on upper floors, especially if they have any ambulatory handicaps.