Broken elevators in 10-story Coney Island building cause concern for tenants
“It’s beyond an inconvenience,” said Anthony Jackson, a tenant and Vietnam veteran. “I have to climb and have somebody with me to carry my walker down.”
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Tenants living in a Coney Island building say they’re frustrated because their elevators are out of service again.
Both elevators at Surf Vets Place, located on West 21st Street, have been broken since May 1.
A management spokesperson with Concern Housing told News 12 on Thursday that a fire in one of the apartments activated the sprinkler system, which caused significant water damage to the elevators.
The FDNY said firefighters were called to the complex for a report of food on a stove, but there was no fire, and officials could not confirm if the sprinklers went off.
“It’s hard to not have the elevators and have [my father] stuck here [in the apartment],” said Tesheena Dejoie, a tenant who is caring for her father after he spent months in the ICU and is using a wheelchair.
Tenants are now stuck climbing the stairs of the 10-story building.
A management spokesperson said onsite staff are available to assist residents, but Dejoie said otherwise.
“I went to management that day to say, ‘Hey, can I get help getting upstairs with my father? He’s disabled. He’s going to be staying with me for a little bit. Can I get some help?’” said Dejoie. “They were just like, ‘No, we’re not allowed to touch anyone.’"
On Thursday, News 12 spoke with other tenants who shared similar stories about needing neighbors or family for help.
They said many people in the building are disabled veterans or older adults, and the elevators have been out several times in the past year.
“It’s beyond an inconvenience,” said Anthony Jackson, a tenant and Vietnam veteran. “I have to climb and have somebody with me to carry my walker down.”
“It’s very frustrating,” said Lehman Jones Jr., a tenant and U.S. Marine. “It seems to happen very frequently, and there’s a lot of disabled people and elderly here; and it’s tough when you live on the 8th floor, the 9th floor.”
A management spokesperson said they’ve been “actively engaged” with KONE, the building’s elevator vendor, to get replacement parts and make repairs.
“There’s just no timeline,” said Jones Jr. “And when [management says] it’s going to be ready, it’s never done.”
“[Management is] just basically were like, ‘Oh, there’s nothing we can do,’” said Dejoie.
Building management could not give News 12 a timeline for when repairs are expected to be complete.
News 12 reached out to KONE for comment and is waiting for a response.
Full statement from a Concern Housing spokesperson:
“We understand and appreciate the frustration residents are experiencing as a result of the ongoing elevator outage, and we share their concern regarding the disruption this has caused, particularly for residents with mobility challenges.
The outage resulted from an unforeseen fire incident on May 1st on the 5th floor of the building. The fire activated the sprinkler system, and water entered the elevator shafts, causing significant damage to critical elevator control systems. For safety reasons, both elevators were immediately taken out of service.
Since the incident occurred, Property Management has been actively engaged with KONE, the building’s elevator vendor, and has continuously escalated the matter in an effort to restore service as quickly as possible.
KONE was notified on May 1st, immediately following the incident. When no onsite response occurred within 24 hours, Property Management escalated the matter through direct outreach and additional communications requesting urgent action. KONE provided a proposal for diagnostic inspection on May 4th, which was authorized immediately upon receipt. KONE conducted a site visit on May 6th and confirmed that both elevators must remain out of service pending significant repairs and replacement components.
At this point, residents understandably want specific information regarding how long repairs will take. We want to be transparent that we do not yet have a definitive timeline because we are still awaiting KONE’s formal repair proposal and schedule. We have repeatedly emphasized to KONE the urgency of the situation and continue to escalate the matter within their management structure to obtain the necessary information and begin repairs without delay.
As soon as we receive a detailed scope of work and repair timeline from KONE, all necessary authorizations will be issued immediately in order to expedite restoration of service.
In the meantime, onsite staff remain available to assist residents, particularly those with mobility concerns or other health and accessibility needs. Any residents experiencing difficulty or requiring assistance are strongly encouraged to contact staff so we can provide immediate support.
The safety and well-being of residents remain our highest priority, and we are committed to keeping residents informed as additional information becomes available.”
