Trustees approve sole source elevator repair contract for Rosenberg Library

City College Student Natsui Sarah Gosney (right) waits for a staff member with a key to escort her on the staff elevator of the Rosenberg Library on March 1, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez/The Guardsman.

NEWS BRIEF

By Laurie Maemura

lmaemura@theguardsman.com

 

The board of trustees voted on March 22 to approve a $123,820 sole source contract to repair the Rosenberg Library elevators. The Rosenberg student elevator has been out of service since at least November of last year due to a roof leak.

The agenda item, presented by Rueben Smith, interim vice chancellor of facilities, stated “no other elevator brand or manufacturer was examined because the repair is to upgrade obsolete equipment in the unit and not replace the entire conveying system.”  As part of the contract, the controller units will be rebuilt.

The elevators were first installed in 1995 by Kone, the original manufacturer and service contractor of the elevator equipment. Throughout the years, the elevators located in the library have been routinely serviced, maintained and repaired up until its failure.  

Although Smith did not present a date in which Kone will begin its repairs, he said the repair will cost less than rebuilding.

“[A total rebuild] or replacement of the elevators would probably cost upwards of $400,000 or more if we had to replace the entire units,” Smith said.  

The repair will last “anywhere from seven to 10 years,” according to Smith. He is hopeful Kone will give the Rosenberg Library elevators an opportunity for an “extended warranty term.

Smith is also looking at other buildings with non-functioning elevators, such as Batmale Hall.

“Rather doing this by pieces…we are trying to group them together, reduce the cost and have the contractors come out and take care of multiple issues instead of one at a time,” Smith said.