Illinois City Council Approves Elevator Repair Amid Infrastructure Concerns

The City Council of Evanston, Illinois, unanimously agreed to put more than US$500,000 toward emergency repairs for the elevator at Police and Fire Headquarters (PFHQ), The Daily Northwestern reports. The circa-1985 elevator was set to undergo a modernization last year; however, contractors alerted city staff that problems with the elevator were more significant than initially thought. A reevaluation of the shaft in May found that three of its walls were unstable, and a full reconstruction of the elevator was recommended. City engineer Lara Biggs sent a memo to the City Council noting that the elevator is one of many challenges facing PFHQ and that the larger state of city infrastructure should also be acknowledged. Biggs reported that six other city-owned buildings had multiple system failures, which could cost almost US$300 million to correct. Reconstruction of the PFHQ elevator is expected to cost the city upwards of US$1 million