University wins elevator lawsuit

by Becky Wright

A settlement of $350,000 was reached Monday, Aug. 29 between CMU and the architecture firm responsible for the design and installation of the elevator from the parking garage to the University Center (UC). The settlement is the conclusion to lengthy frustration felt not only by students, but by administration as well.

During the 2016 summer semester, the university installed a new stairwell connecting the UC and the parking garage. The addition cost CMU $65,000. Previous to this, students using the parking garage and the UC were forced to exit the structure and walk around the building for access instead of using the elevator. Not only was this an inconvenience, but it posed safety issues.

The settlement that was reached not only covered the cost of installing the new stairwell, it encompasses the cost of upgrading the motor and pump in the existing elevator.

This will ensure a faster ride for individuals waiting for the connection. Additionally, CMU will be able to recover more than half of its attorney’s fees and costs according to President Foster.

Foster also said, “the money will cover the cost of connecting the existing south garage stairway with a new corridor that will run across the outside patio south of the ballroom area on the second floor.”

The university first entered into a contract with Kevin Hom, Architect P.C., in 2008 to design and implement the remodel of the UC, including access to the adjoining parking garage. The lawsuit filed in February 2015 stated Hom failed to provide a functional design including pedestrian access to the UC. Additionally, the elevator purchased did not adequately accommodate the flow of traffic.

“I call that the death machine,” Roxanne Truter, english major, said of the elevator. “It takes forever and does not always work the way it is supposed to.” Truter uses the parking garage daily and said the addition of the new stairwell is “amazing and I use it every day. It is encouraging to hear the elevator is going be fixed.”

The settlement amount is to be paid to CMU within 30 days. Although this means more construction in the UC, the conclusion will reflect safe, functional and efficient points of access to both structures.