Parkside Apartments has been left with one operating elevator since the beginning of Spring 2024, as its second elevator is undergoing renovations and repairs. The two elevators are being modernized to ensure they meet all safety regulations, Facilities Planning and Management wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan.

FPM wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan that the renovations and repairs on the second elevator would be complete by the first week of April. However, once the elevator is back in service, the first elevator will go through the same modernization process and become inaccessible to residents. 

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Despite the lack of a second elevator inconveniencing residents at the start of the semester, USC has implemented ways to compensate for the situation by allowing residents to use the north and south stairwells. The stairwells were previously used as emergency exits, but USC has allowed residents to pick up keys to access the stairwells, overall making it easier to get in and out of the apartment complex.

Christine Zhang, a freshman majoring in design and a resident of Parkside Apartments, said the elevator closure has been an inconvenience trying to get to class at the beginning of the semester. 

“They could have communicated better what this modernization entails, like, why does it need to take place now, and why it needs to take so long,” Zhang said. “As far as I could tell, the elevators worked fine.”

Zhang said that there was a lack of communication on which stairwells to use and she said that USC has not been making an attempt to make up for the inconvenience despite access to the stairwells. 

Juny Romero, a freshman majoring in pharmacology and drug development, said he was confused why USC had to modernize the elevators at this moment as he, like Zhang, saw no problem with them. 

Despite there being no initial problem with the elevators, they are being modernized due to the mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA ensures that elevators are readily accessible and if an elevator falls short of these requirements, modernization becomes mandatory instead of optional. 

“I was thinking, ‘Why are we modernizing it now?’” Romero said. “I don’t know why it takes half a year to fix an elevator.”

However, Romero expressed that soon after USC allowed the residents to use the stairwells, the issue became less serious. 

“At first, it was really annoying that we only had one elevator to use,” he said. “But, since they let us come up and down using the emergency stairs, it doesn’t affect me as much as when they first announced it.”

Another resident, Leo Pei, a freshman majoring in business administration, said he is content with the way things currently are. Living on the sixth floor — the top story — he said he was initially frustrated but, as time progressed, he thought USC did well on communicating the issue. 

“I saw some signs that said the elevator was under maintenance and I received some emails, so I think that was great,” Pei said. “I also see the workers working so I can deduct from what I see.”

With the modernization of the second elevator, Julia Leong, a freshman majoring in cognitive science, said the elevator looks different, but it goes at the same speed as it did before.

“It seemed like a lot of work for something that didn’t make much of a difference,” Leong said. “It looks a bit fancier and has a nicer display board, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

Leong said that she hoped the renovations would make the elevator slightly faster than before, but felt disappointed after riding the newly renovated elevator. Leong also expressed her concern for students with disabilities because they cannot access the stairwells. 

“When both of the elevators are out, it is definitely problematic,” Leong said. “Regardless, it is problematic for students with disabilities because the stairs are just not [an option] for them.”

Since one elevator is open, Leong said students with disabilities still have a way to get to their rooms. 

As of now, FPM has nothing to add on the accessibility of the elevators other than their original statement. 

USC Housing has posted signs on every floor of the building to inform the residents of the issue. The University has also apologized for the inconvenience that the project may have caused. The signs said Housing made “every effort” to minimize the project’s impact to the residents, but because of the availability of parts and the contractor, the project had to start this spring. 

USC Housing wrote in the notices that it will continue to coordinate with the Residential Education team to monitor the impact to the residents and make adjustments to the entrance and exit policies if needed. As of now, the second elevator is complete and construction for the first elevator is set to begin soon.