MUSKOGEE -- A handful of senior Muskogee residents are getting their exercise after the elevator in the Surety apartment building broke almost two weeks ago. Management with the building say the elevator is in the process of being fixed.
“I don’t let it stop me. I take my time,” said Gladys Knight, a resident.
To get through the doors and the up the stairs is quite the hike.
“Coming down isn’t as bad as going up,” Knight said.
Knight lives on the third floor.
"Honey, I use the elevator when it’s working. I ain’t no spring chicken,” she said.
But Wednesday marked day 11 without the elevator at the building.
“Maybe when they put these parts in there it won’t break down no more,” Knight said.
Lightning struck last Saturday, which management said overcharged the elevator circuit and burned electrical components.
“If I was over 62 and having to walk that, I would be a little grumpy," said Gabriel Gutierrez, owner of the building.
The problem is the age of the building, which is making it hard to find parts.
“I think they said there is only four of them in the state," Gutierrez said.
"He had to get the trash from the eighth floor all the way down. He had to make so many trips, that’s why he’s such a wonderful guy," Knight said.
An elevator is required by law in the state for buildings more than four stories.
“At this point, we’re going to monitor and make sure that they do keep seeking repairs but as far as enforcement, we’ll allow state to do the enforcement on that,” said Dan Hurd, Muskogee building inspector.
Management say they expect the elevator to be fixed and up in running by Thursday afternoon.
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