CLEARWATER, Fla. — After more than five months, the elevator inside Building Nine at On Top of the World Clearwater is back in order.
The elevator broke down in late January. We first reported on it in March. Since then, we have returned countless times to hear the stories of the seniors in the building.
"There are people who are just happy to be able to get down with their pets, their garbage, to be able to get food delivered without having to pay for it, without having other people take their garbage down. Without having people to walk their pets for them," Jim Johnson said.
WATCH: Elevator service restored at Clearwater senior condo more than five months later
While the elevator is back up and running, it's not exactly easing the concerns of the people in the building. Johnson likened the relief of having the elevator repaired to “a starving person after five months".
“They say, 'Oh, it's all fixed,' but do you really? And why did it take five months to get here?” he said.
Mark Wark pointed out that the elevator, originally installed by Otis in 1967, has exceeded its usable lifespan by 33 years.
“So an elevator being down for five or six months and not being replaced is just not acceptable,” he said, emphasizing that parts have only been fixed rather than a complete replacement undertaken, a necessary process he described as "crane operation."
Both Wark and Johnson are hopeful that their experiences will push for broader legislative changes in Florida that address elevator maintenance and accountability within condominium associations.
Wark says he has met with various lawmakers.
“We need new laws that have bite,” Wark asserted, stressing the necessity for transparency and accountability in the management of such facilities.
He's also advocating for measures to ensure that elevators, essential for mobility, are not left in disrepair.
“The legislative body is where we are going to make the greatest improvements,” stated Wark. “When an elevator goes down here in Florida, it disproportionately affects the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled.”
But until then, both men are concerned about future elevator failures.
“This elevator is just going to continue to break down,” Wark said.
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