Residents of 747 Concourse Village West in the Bronx are facing a critical accessibility crisis as both elevators in their apartment building remain out of service. This failure has left elderly and ill tenants struggling to reach their homes, forcing some to choose between grueling climbs or remaining trapped inside.
A Dangerous Daily Climb
For one 64-year-old tenant, the lack of elevator service means preparing herself mentally every night for the next day’s journey. She must navigate nine flights of stairs despite being a stroke survivor and currently undergoing cancer treatment.
The tenant reported feeling as though she might pass out during the ascent, noting that she must stop every few steps to catch her breath. She described the physical toll of the climb, stating she is sometimes only able to manage 13 steps at a time.
Timeline of Infrastructure Failure
Tenants report that the elevators became unreliable following water damage caused by a fire in February. While residents claim one elevator was briefly repaired, it reportedly stopped working again approximately one week ago.
Tenant Werner Diaz noted that this is the longest period the elevators have been down, stating that residents can no longer endure the situation. Other residents, including Ashley Creighton, described the situation as “insane,” highlighting the plight of sick and elderly tenants waiting for assistance downstairs.
City Response and Legal Status
Signs in the building lobby currently attribute the outage to maintenance. However, the Department of Buildings has revealed a more complex regulatory failure regarding the building’s equipment.
According to the DOB, the building owner’s hired elevator repair company has not yet requested the reinspection required to lift the Cease Use Order for the water-damaged elevator. The DOB stated they are currently routing an inspector to the address to provide further updates.
Potential Next Steps
The situation may evolve based on the results of the upcoming DOB inspection. A possible next step could involve the repair company finally requesting a reinspection, which could potentially lift the Cease Use Order if the repairs are verified.
Further updates from the city may be issued once the routed inspector completes their assessment of the premises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the elevators at 747 Concourse Village West out of service?
The elevators were knocked out of service due to water damage resulting from a fire in February.
What legal actions has the city taken against the building?
The DOB issued an OATH/ECB violation on February 4, 2026, for failure to maintain one elevator, and a DOB violation and Cease Use Order for the second elevator on February 12, 2026.
Has the building management attempted to fix the elevators?
Residents state that one elevator was repaired but stopped working again about a week ago; however, the DOB noted that the repair company has not requested a reinspection to lift the Cease Use Order for the damaged elevator.
How should cities better regulate the timeline for critical infrastructure repairs in residential buildings?
