Broward medical building report many people trapped in their elevators: "It's a danger zone"
Tenants and patients at the Emerald Lake Plaza on Sterling Road in Hollywood are calling for action after recurring malfunctions with the building's elevator have left visitors trapped and others unable to access essential services.
The situation has caused significant distress for those visiting medical offices within the building, particularly the elderly and those with limited mobility.
Rick Valente, a patient who visits a third-floor doctor's office several times a month, said he has been forced to climb the stairs despite relying on a cane for stability.
"I can't do stairs very well because I have no strength in my legs," Valente said. "It was excruciatingly painful, but I knew I had to be here, so I did it, and when I was done, going back down was just as bad".
The issue appears to be ongoing. Stacey Wells, who works in the building, said she hears people calling out for help from the elevator at least once a week.
"I've heard people calling out, and it's pretty scary, so I just tell all the clients that come in do not take the elevator; it's hazardous, it's a danger zone, I believe," Wells said.
Viewer photos shared with CBS News Miami show Hollywood Fire Rescue responding to an incident Monday to assist a trapped occupant. Another patient, David Nurieli, described seeing elderly individuals forced to walk or be carried up three flights of stairs when the elevator fails.
Firm Realty, the property management company, acknowledged the issue in a statement to CBS News Miami. Management said they have issued a formal Notice of Deficiency to TK Elevator, the building's service provider, and have sought evaluations from other firms.
"Property management is fully aware of the elevator issues at Emerald Lake Plaza and shares the frustration of our tenants and visitors," the company said. "The recurring outages and occasional entrapments are unacceptable to us, and resolving them has been one of our highest priorities".
Management added that they have funds set aside to replace the elevator, though a timeline for the project has not been announced.
CBS News Miami reached out to TK Elevator. A spokesperson shared this statement:
"TK Elevator understands how frustrating repeated service issues can be for residents and building management, and we take this matter very seriously. In this case, this particular building is operating a single elevator system that is more than two decades old. By industry standards, this unit is nearing its end-of-life period of reliability. To that end, in recent months the unit has required multiple service callbacks, and in each instance TK Elevator's dedicated team has worked to restore the unit as quickly and safely as possible. However, with this type of aging equipment, components can become increasingly prone to unexpected failure, even with regular maintenance.
TK Elevator has been in communication with this customer to plan for a full modernization of the system, which is the most effective, long-term solution to improve reliability and performance. Most recently, we provided an updated modernization proposal in early May, and we understand the customer is still evaluating options.
Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our people, our customers, and the riding public. We remain committed to supporting the building as it works towards a long-term modernization solution."
Broward County officials confirmed that a code compliance inspector visited the site Tuesday following a call from the Hollywood Fire Department. While the elevator was running during the inspection, the county issued a violation for an expired inspection certificate. A full report is pending.
If you have breaking news, a tip, or an issue you think deserves investigation, contact our newsroom at 844-404-4954 (Broward) or 844-404-4305 (Miami-Dade). You can also email us at wfornews@cbs.com or visit our online tip form.