Tenants in South Loop high-rise apartment building haven't had working elevators for weeks

For weeks, residents at a South Loop apartment building have been climbing up to eight flights of stairs after both elevators stopped working.

Tenants in The Regal Apartments, at 651 S. Wells St., are finally getting some temporary relief—but said it is coming far too late.

Management has hired an elevator attendant to manually operate one elevator during limited hours, but tenants said that's only a temporary fix and they're still waiting for permanent repairs.

For nearly six weeks, getting home has meant climbing up to eight flights of stairs for residents at The Regal Apartments in Chicago's South Loop.

Both elevators have been out of service, leaving some tenants feeling trapped inside their own building.

Tenants like Kelsey Feeney say every trip means carrying groceries, laundry, even strollers up and down the stairs.

"The worst part is I've had to ration going out," she said.

Feeney also said a mother carrying her 2-year-old and a stroller fell on the stairs.

"She fell, and her 2-year-old also fell and split his lip open," she said.

Others said the daily climb is taking a physical toll.

"It's just taxing, like emotionally and physically," Alicia Cooper said.

City records show multiple administrative cases tied to elevator-related violations between 2020 and 2024, resulting in thousands of dollars in fines.  

Tenants shared photos of the broken elevators from two years ago.

"It seems like this has been happening just over and over and over, and I know a lot of people have said they just don't feel like they're treated like humans," Feeney said. "It's more like you're an inconvenience to the company."

Residents said they've repeatedly been given new repair dates, with little progress.

After CBS News Chicago started asking questions last week, management hired an elevator attendant to manually operate one elevator during limited hours, but tenants said it's only a temporary solution.

"It feels like they're not really taking it seriously," Cooper said.

The Chicago Department of Buildings said it inspected the property after multiple 311 complaints, and issued code violations. The department said ownership told inspectors it has expedited the delivery of parts needed to complete repairs.

The building's management, TLC Management, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.