Courthouse's only secure inmate elevator failed inspection; $500,000 fix request pulled for more bids

What happened

Facilities director Ricky Hammonds told the council the courthouse's secure elevator — the only way to move inmates between the jail and the courtroom without using the public elevator — is 50 to 60 years old, at the end of its life, and failed its five-year load-test inspection, with the elevator company telling the county not to put more than three people in it at a time until a decision is made. The commissioners said a full replacement would cost $500,000, and Hammonds put the rebuild timeline at 43 to 49 weeks from start to finish, but the commissioners asked the council to hold the funding request another month so a second contractor can weigh in alongside the current one, after an outside estimate came in above $500,000. This is the same $500,000 request commissioners said earlier that evening they would bring to the council.

The outcome

The commissioners asked to withdraw the $500,000 request from next week's agenda to gather more estimates; no funding decision was made.

Sources

• Elevator's age and role explained
• $500,000 request, more estimates wanted
• Rebuild timeline: 43 to 49 weeks
• Failed inspection, occupancy limited to 3
• Request withdrawn from next week's agenda
• Commissioners raised the same request earlier that evening

Also known as: courthouse elevator repair · secure elevator · inmate elevator · courthouse modernization · Vigo County Courthouse elevator