Southern Adventist University is planning to add a new elevator to Wright Hall.
The elevator will be located in the southwest side of the building and will have a bridge to provide direct access to Cafeteria Drive without the use of stairs. Construction is expected to begin in May 2019.
“Right now we don’t have the ability for anyone to get to the dining hall without going up or down stairs,” said Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of financial administration. “It makes it difficult for a student or anyone who has a disability to get to the dining hall floor.”
There are already two elevators in Wright Hall. One of them does not have access to the Student Center. The other one has been closed off to students due to past mechanical failures.
“We have had quite a few people get stuck in the elevator in the student center,” said Dennis Clifford, associate director of Plant Services. “So rather than keeping it open to the public, it is now used for food services only.”
In his three years of work at Southern, Clifford has received approximately a dozen calls from people who were inside the elevator when it stopped working. Administration is aware of the problem.
“We knew this elevator was having trouble,” Hamilton said. “Over the last few years we noticed that it was getting difficult to get replacement parts, so we decided that we needed a new plan.”
The elevator at the Student Center was designed by Smith Elevators, but the company closed down in the mid 1980s. Other elevators on campus are designed by Otis Elevators Company.
There are still details to finalize before construction begins, such as elevation levels and the mechanical, electrical and floor plans.
“Probably the biggest challenge is building a bridge to accommodate the handicapped from the parking lot,” said Fred Turner, corporate architect. “Because of the generator, the bridge has to come right adjacent to it, it’s hard to provide structural support.”
Administration has budget around $250,000 for this project. Due to student activity during the year, construction will not begin until the end of the winter semester.
“If any student experiences any problem with the elevators on campus just let us know and we will work on it,” Clifford said. “We want to make sure the facilities on campus are safe for everyone’s use.”