Peninsula library elevator back in service after nine-month repair

The Peninsula Public Library's elevator is back in service after nearly nine months out of commission, with trustees and Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias marking the completion of the $184,000 project at a ribbon-cutting on July 16, according to the Nassau Herald. The elevator itself had returned to operation on July 10 once final approvals came through.

The old elevator, which had run for decades, was pulled from service last October after it became unreliable and replacement parts grew hard to find. Board president Akiva Lubin said the project ended up going far beyond the elevator itself, requiring an overhaul of the building's electrical system and code upgrades. Sentry Elevator Corp. of Brooklyn, which did the work, said nearly everything in the machine room, the interior panels, door operators and wiring were replaced. The new system includes phone and internet connectivity, automated floor announcements and added safety features, and was built to exceed ADA requirements.

Library officials had initially estimated a full replacement could cost close to $500,000. After bids came in higher than expected, the board picked Sentry following legal guidance, and Lubin said the finished project came in hundreds of thousands of dollars under those early projections and ahead of schedule. Installation was largely finished by early June and passed inspection on June 11, with final activation delayed while telecommunications and paperwork were completed.

Librarian in charge Pat Murphy, who has a disabled daughter and previously handled handicapped permits, said the elevator matters daily for the library's older patrons and parents with strollers. "Everybody who comes in really appreciates that the elevator's working," she said.