Avoyelles Police Jury looking at ‘modernizing’ courthouse elevator

The short three-floor trip in the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse elevator may seem like an eternity to the jittery. It can become a lot longer if the carriage decides to stop mid-way in its journey.

The elevator had some “failure to start” issues earlier this year, being stalled on the first floor.

Those immediate issues were resolved and there has been no incident of riders being trapped between floors -- yet.

During the Police Jury’s committee meeting on March 7, jurors said something needs to be done to ensure a carload of court visitors doesn’t end up trapped en route to a court appearance.

One proposal has been prepared and presented. However, the $212,343 price tag to “modernize” the 91-year-old courthouse’s elevator system forced jurors to look at hopefully securing an emergency repairs grant from the state or for a possible alternative solution.

Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corp. said the modernization package was customized for the courthouse elevator “and will include the elevator mechanical and electrical components being replaced, refurbished or retained.”

The elevator car is not the original installed in 1927, but the motor may be, jurors were told.

The shaft has been in operation since the courthouse opened. Any elevator system using that shaft would have to be constructed especially for it.

Thyssenkrupp is a German company specializing in elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks. It has operations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans in this state.

BENEFITS INCLUDE

In its written proposal, Thyssenkrupp said the “benefits of modernization include increased durability and reliability, improved fire and life safety features, decreased waiting times, reduced energy consumption, reduced operational cost and reduced troubleshooting time.”

It would take about 32 weeks to complete the project once it was approved.

Half of that time would be to fabricate the materials specifically for this project.

It would take about six weeks to survey and order the materials. It would only take 10-12 weeks to install the modernization package.

In other Police Jury business, jurors received no bids for South Wayside Bridge near Simmesport at its March 12 monthly meeting.

The bridge has been declared a “surplus fixed asset” and thus able to be sold “as is/where is” to an interested buyer.

The Police Jury will readvertise for bids, this time without setting a minimum acceptable bid price, and accept bids at a later meeting.