‘You feel trapped’: Gabriel Tower tenants plead for help after weeks without working elevator
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - It’s a big problem for renters at a Kansas City apartment complex; their elevators are down, again!
For some, that’s an inconvenience, but for others who are elderly and disabled and live at Gabriel Tower, it’s cutting off a lifeline.
“We can’t get out to go to the grocery store, we can’t take our animals up and down the stairs,” said Woods, “there’s people here in electric wheelchairs that can’t get out, there’s people on dialysis that can’t go to their appointments, these elderly people can’t get to their doctor appointments.
Woods lives on the 5th floor and has a bad hip, so she needs to use the elevator.
“I get really short of breath climbing up the stairs,” she explained.
One of the elevators has been down for two weeks, while the other residents said it hasn’t worked for years.
Residents also said the one elevator that does work breaks down almost every month.
“If it’s a part that needs to be ordered, it should have been shipped 3 days and it could have been fixed I really don’t think they’re telling the truth,” said Woods, “if they’re not going to fix the elevator they just need to come out and say it.”
Woods said management has told her two different stories – one, that they’re waiting on a part and the other, that they are still accepting bids to fix it.
KCTV5 wanted to get a better idea of what residents are going through, so crews went from the first floor to the 5th floor to see just how tough it is, without having complications.
“You feel like you’re trapped, you can’t go anywhere,” said Linda Ross.
Ross lives on the third floor and relies on an electric wheelchair to get around. For her, taking the stairs isn’t an option. She said she hasn’t been able to leave her apartment for weeks.
“We need an elevator up and running so we can take care of ourselves like we normally do without it, a lot of us are just hosed or stuck here,” said Ross.
On Tuesday, management left a letter for residents with no timeline on a fix and then left another one Wednesday evening, still no timeline, but expressed that they understood the residents’ frustration.
“It’s bull, because they’ve had all this time to get that fixed and have the problem fixed. I don’t know what the problem is, if it needs a new motor, why can’t they order it? If they need a simple part, why can’t they get it here?” said Ross.
Both residents said they’re beyond frustrated and are pleading for better treatment.
“Nobody seems like they care about this place and the problems it has or do anything about it; they just ignore it like it doesn’t exist,” expressed Ross, “and it’s not right, people here are elderly and disabled, and they need help.”
“If there’s any elevator company that can come fix this place quicker, please do, please come out here and help us,” said Woods.
KCTV5 reached out to the new management, Friedman Real Estate, numerous times, but did not hear back as of Wednesday evening.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
