Elderly and disabled residents at a Washington Heights building are in serious need of a lift. NY1's Susan Jhun filed the following report.
Climbing five flights of stairs is no small feat for 81-year-old Apolonia Leonardo, who has heart problems.
"I have to take oxygen in my nose every day," says Leonardo. "And when I go down and I come up, I'm right away I have to go to bed."
Leonardo has struggled since the only elevator in the six floor Washington Heights building on 161 Street broke back in January.
Tenants say they have not heard from management since this notice was posted almost year ago.
"They said we're doing it in January and it should be completed by April," said a tenant, Aristides Stowers. "April came, nothing. June came, nothing. September, nothing. December, nothing."
In the meantime, Leonardo says she has fallen twice on the loose stairs.
"The stairs aren't really stable or really all that safe," says Stowers.
When NY1 called management for the building, Proto Property Services, they refused to comment.
We then contacted The Department of Buildings, which went out to inspect and found the work to upgrade the elevator was completed.
DOB told NY1 once the elevator company made the final inspection request, DOB would expedite the inspection.
A day later, the elevator was back up and running. A real pick up to residents.