People fed up with broken elevators in downtown parking garage

ATLANTA — People who work and visit a local courthouse say the elevators in a nearby parking garage are falling apart or don't work.

The new owners of the garage told Channel 2’s Tom Jones that plans are underway to put in new elevators. Until then, some people are steamed at having to wait for the elevators.

"It's aggravating and annoying," Alinda Favors told Jones on Thursday.

Favors said she had to wait several minutes for one of two elevators at the large Underground Atlanta parking garage across from the Fulton County Courthouse.

When she got on, she said she couldn't believe the condition it was in.

"They need to get this together," Favors said.

The elevator stops at every floor.

Connie Starks said it's time consuming. She was trying to go up to the 7th floor but the elevator she was on was going down.

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"We have to go to now 5, 4 , 3 ,2 ,1, back up," she explained.

The buttons on the elevator don't work. Others are missing and one is pushed in and broken.

Jones noticed there was no 4 or 5 numbers on the panel, the 6 button was missing and the 4 button stays lit.

Someone removed a sign telling riders not to push any buttons since the elevator stops at every floor.

It makes for an aggravating day for people who work and visit the courthouse.

"I went round and round trying to avoid this place," one rider told Jones.

Some people just avoided waiting for the elevator.

"I had to walk all the way up to the 7th floor," a courthouse visitor said.

The second of the two elevators is out of service. An inspection permit indicates it expired last year.

The insurance commissioner's office said the worker who was supposed to inspect it no longer works for the state. His duties had not been assigned to another inspector.

The commissioner's office said someone would be out to inspect the elevator Friday.
West FSI and Palatin Capital bought the garage in April.

Rick West said the elevators are so old, one can't be repaired and mixing new parts in the old second elevator caused it to stop on every floor.

Contracts have been signed to modernize both elevators and work is expected to begin in about six weeks.

Riders said something needs to be done soon.

"You might as well just tell everybody when you come in just give us $12 you going to spend 30 minutes on the elevator," Favors told Jones.

The owners of the garage said they will add a golf cart to the garage to shuttle people to their parking spot.

The stairs will get a make-over as well.

Cox Media Group