FORT MYERS, Fla. — Owner of the embattled apartment complex Harbor Grand appeared before the City of Fort Myers Code Enforcement Board Thursday, saying they’re taking steps to fix their elevators.
But, the city and people living there believe this should've happened a long time ago.
Fox 4 community corespondent Stephen Pimpo was there for the code enforcement meeting and spoke to city officials and residents about the chronic elevator problems:
“This should have been done a while back and we’ve gotten numerous complaints about the elevators,” code officer Gary Robinson told the board, adding that Harbor Grand apartments’ elevator problems go back to 2023.
Following numerous resident complaints and code enforcement violations (amid multiple news stories by Fox 4), ownership and maintenance for Harbor Grand appeared before the code enforcement board, saying they have hired Right Way Elevator to fix the two of their four elevators that do not work. But they asked for an extra 60 days to do so.
“There’s a governor shift that controls the speed of the elevator and the bearings have gone out of it. And this part is probably going to be six to eight weeks out coming in,” said maintenance supervisor Marius Negrin.
Roxanne Prada, vice president for Harbor Grand owner Westside Capital Group, said the same company will do preventative maintenance.
“We’ve spent a lot of money getting them repaired,” Prada said. “Now what we want to go though would be the maintenance contract because that just guarantees us that every month they’re getting looked at.”
City officials and residents wonder why that is just now happening.
“It’s a major property. It fronts the Caloosahatchee River, it’s a large building and they seem to never get things right,” said Fort Myers City Councilmember Liston Bochette. “They put bandaids on problems but we need the problems fixed.”
The board ruled that ownership has to pay $500 a day until the elevators are fixed. This retroactively every day since March 31st, when the case first started. If they are not fixed in 60 days, the city will put a lien on the property.
Harbor Grand tenant David Charron is happy the city is getting involved but wished it could’ve happened sooner.
“I pay $34,000 a year to live here. It is your obligation to have critical components, such as an elevator, working,” Charron said. “I don’t care how much money you spend. It is your obligation.”
Charron, who says he is moving out of Harbor Grand, had a message for ownership.
“Stop whining, fix your facility,” he said.
