Nearly a week after a man died using an elevator in a Manhattan building, the building’s management told residents new lifts would be coming at some point — but many in the building want changes done now, because they don’t feel safe riding the lifts as is. NBC 4 New York’s Rana Novini reports.
What to Know
- The management of the building where a man was killed in a freak elevator mishap said that the building will be getting new lift equipment
- The group said in an email to residents that an “imperative analysis” was conducted on their elevator system, and found upgrades were needed
- The push for the fixes comes after a 30-year-old man died in the Kips Bay building after the elevator he was trying to exit malfunctioned
In a letter sent out to residents, the management of the building where a man was killed in a freak elevator mishap said that the building will be getting new lift equipment.
The group Manhattan Promenade LLC said in an email that an “imperative analysis” had been conducted on their elevator system, and found that they needed upgrades.
“Pursuant to the evaluation and recommendations to address the upgrades to existing equipment,” the statement read, “we opted to have all elevator mechanicals and electronics be replaced in their entirety.”
While the letter said that total replacement is the “most effective long-term upgrade” for the building, it did not say when the upgrades would take place.
Multiple residents in the immediate aftermath of the horrific fatal accident last week said they refused to take any elevators until fixes are made. Residents told News 4 the elevators have malfunctioned many times, and the DOB issued multiple citations for both elevators at the location before.
A source with the Department of Buildings told News 4 that no replacements or upgrades by the owner can happen until the investigation is completed, because the building is required to have at least one working elevator at all times.
The effort to make the fixes comes after a 30-year-old man died in the Kips Bay building after the elevator he was trying to exit apparently malfunctioned and trapped him, pinning him between the elevator car and the shaft wall, according to officials.
The man, identified as Samuel Waisbren, was trying to exit the elevator when it somehow moved and trapped him, officials said.
In a statement at the time of the accident, the Department of Buildings said: “DOB is investigating this incident aggressively and will take all appropriate enforcement actions. Elevators are the safest form of travel in New York, due to the city’s stringent inspection and safety requirements. We’re determined to find out what went wrong at this building and seek ways to prevent incidents like this in the future.”
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"A life could have been saved, it shouldn’t have to take someone dying to have a management company realize there’s an issue with the elevators," resident Dayna Sargen said.
The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death for Waisbren.
