Cost of replacing elevators in Welland’s courthouse goes up by almost $300K

Escalating costs for two aging elevators in the 170-year-old Welland courthouse will land in the lap of city taxpayers.

In a report going to city council next week, facilities manager Frank Pearson said the public and prisoner elevators were assessed in 2022 and recommended for replacement in the 2025 budget.

Pearson said the public elevator has experienced significant operational issues and frequent service calls, impacting building accessibility and reliability.

The city set aside $500,000 to replace both elevators in the building at the corner of East Main and Cross street.

However, with increasing costs over the last three years and a $720,460 bid from KONE Elevators & Escalators, the only submission from a request for proposals (RFP), the city finds itself short of cash to rep