Elevator World

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MARKS IS OTIS PRESIDENT; FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD UTC SUBSIDIARY

Judy Marks has been named president of Otis, making her the first woman to lead a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTC). Marks joins UTC from Siemens, where she served as CEO of Siemens USA and its subsidiary, Dresser-Rand, which serves the oil and gas industry globally. For Siemens, she led operations and services in the U.S. in the areas of electrification, automation and digitization. Before joining Siemens, Marks held leadership positions at Lockheed Martin and IBM. Marks holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She succeeds Philippe Delpech, who resigned in July to take a position with another company.

 

MELBOURNE GIVES CONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR HIGH RISE

During an October 3 meeting, the City of Melbourne's Future Melbourne (Planning Committee) gave its support for a 48-story residential tower at 56-62 Clarendon Street, Urban.Melbourne reports. If built, the 161-m-tall structure will house 208 apartments and 128 serviced apartments atop a six-story podium. The podium will house a car-stacking parking system, which will be wrapped in a "sleeve" of studio apartments and an adjacent, ground-level cafe. The approved design includes changes from an earlier proposal, most notably a relocation of the elevator and services core from the north side to the less-prominent southern wall. The city's Urban Design team generally gave good marks to the plan, but suggested that final permits may be dependent on further changes.

 

APARTMENT TOWER FOR CHICAGO’S GOLD COAST NEIGHBORHOOD

The Sinclair Apartments, a 390-unit, 35-story-tall luxury building incorporating a full-service grocery store at ground level, has opened at the northeast corner of Division and LaSalle streets in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, Fifield Realty Corp. announced. Amenities are significant, including a deck with a pool, spa, cabanas, outdoor grilling area, gardens and dog run — all with skyline and lake views. Fifield states it held dozens of public meetings prior to getting zoning changes that paved the way for the development, which it believes will help revitalize the area with features such as new water services, street landscaping and new security cameras.

 

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Image courtesy of LinkedIn.

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

GERMANY’S HIGHEST VIEWING PLATFORM OPENS AT TK TEST TOWER

The viewing platform at thyssenkrupp's now fully operational elevator test tower in Rottweil, Germany, opened on October 7 amid much fanfare. At a height of 232 m, the platform affords guests 360˚ views over the Black Forest and Swabian Alps and is a "landmark of engineering, progress and innovation," according to thyssenkrupp. It is the highest viewing platform in Germany. thyssenkrupp AG CEO Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, thyssenkrupp Elevator CEO Andreas Schierenbeck and architect Helmut Jahn were among those who attended the unveiling ceremony, exactly three years after ground was broken on the 244-m-tall tower, which is being used to test high-speed elevators, including the new-generation MULTI system.

IN MEMORIAM: DOUGLAS THOMAS BELL

Douglas Thomas "Doug" Bell of Winnipeg, Canada, passed away on September 22. Bell started his career in the elevator industry in his early 20s with Otis as a mechanic. He started Winnipeg Elevator Group Inc. with his partner Harry Neufeld at the age of 35. In 1978, he became the company's sole owner and eventually saw 50 years of its success. Bell was a longtime member of the Canadian Elevator Contractors Association and a member of its board of directors. He hosted the association's only Winnipeg convention, in 1983. Bell is survived by his wife of 59 years, Kathleen; children, John, Brenda, Dianne and Greg; siblings, Ruth, Bruce, Bill, Brian, Laureen, Donny and Ralph; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Winnipeg Humane Society. Condolences may be sent to Klassen Funeral Home.

JERSEY CITY TOWER RAPIDLY CLIMBING SKYWARD

Jersey City's 99 Hudson Street, a residential tower that will soon be the city's tallest building, is rising rapidly, with façade installation now beginning, New York YIMBY says. The 79-story, 900-ft.-tall tower, which broke ground in January 2016, will house 1.5 million sq. ft. of space, including about 14,000 sq. ft. of public space and 15,000 sq. ft. set aside for retail; the rest will go mainly to the 781 condominium units. The source says the latest photos show the tower's skeleton has risen to the 12th floor. The developer for 99 Hudson Street is China Overseas America, Inc., and the architect is Perkins Eastman.

DEVELOPMENT PLAN INCLUDES NEW TALLEST TOWER FOR LEEDS

Leeds, U.K., would have a new tallest tower if a new, hybrid planning application filed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) is approved, The Architects' Journal reports. The GBP350-million (US$457-million) project, being developed by Commercial Estates Group (CEG), would cover a 3.52-ha. plot that includes four sites south of the Leeds city center. The plans call for two office blocks with 26,100 m² for commercial use, plus 103,900 m² of office, retail, hotel and other uses; parking; and up to 750 residences in buildings ranging from five to 40 stories. The city's current tallest, Bridgewater Place Tower, stands 32 stories.

Image courtesy of dailymail.co.uk:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3179853/The-bizarre-tower-built-test-elevator-future-Willy-Wonka-style-lift-use-magnets-pull-cabins-SIDEWAYS.html

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

OTIS TO START MANUFACTURING ESCALATORS IN INDIA

Otis plans to start manufacturing escalators at its Bengaluru, India, facility in 2018, citing railway station modernization and population growth, particularly in Tier II and III cities, over the next decade, according to Press Trust of India. Otis India President Sebi Joseph says the company will continue to transition to producing all products for the Indian market in India. He noted it is currently at 40% global and 60% Indian components. "Our goal is to get to total indigenization," Joseph said. While the Goods and Services Tax and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act promise to keep the Indian market flat in 2017, it is expected to pick back up in 2018.

 

IN MEMORIAM: ERNEST PETER “ERNIE” PLIMLEY

Ernest Peter "Ernie" Plimley, of Vancouver Island, Canada, passed away on July 2 after a short battle with cancer at the age of 78. Past President of the Canadian Elevator Contactors Association, Plimley was well respected in the industry, having gotten his start as a mechanic for Otis, for which he worked for many years. Plimley went on to launch Plimley Elevator Manufacturing, and produced many unique units in his marine-elevator niche. Plimley is survived by his children, Janet, Pamela and Ej; two grandchidlren; three sisters; and array of friends in both the industry and community in which he lived for 40 years. A memorial was held in North Saanich, Vancouver Island, in July.

 

BELLEVUE TOWER ON TRACK IN DUBAI’S MARASI BUSINESS BAY

Construction is progressing on Bellevue Towers, a pair of 23-story residential towers by Dubai Properties on the Marasi Business Bay waterfront in Dubai, ConstructionWeekOnline.com reports. The foundation pour wrapped up on October 1, with 9,500 m3 of concrete delivered to the site on 1,124 trucks. Describing this milestone as "critically important," Dubai Properties Executive Director Marwan Al Kindi said the project is on track for a timely delivery in the third quarter of 2019. The towers will have approximately 320 units and resident amenities, including a gym, pool and children's playground.

 

PME HOSTS YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS AT ILLINOIS FACILITY

Phoenix Modular Elevator (PME) recently hosted local high school students at its Mt. Vernon, Illinois, headquarters as part of the Jefferson County CEO program. They toured the factory and participated in a question-and-answer session with PME President Alison Allgaier. The program gives students the opportunity to see businesses from the inside out and learn about entrepreneurship. Those who visited said they were impressed by PME's growth from a small operation in 1995 to one that today ships modular elevators throughout North America. The program will culminate in students presenting their own entrepreneurial ideas.

Image courtesy of Otis

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

MALAYSIAN LIFT MANUFACTURER HAS OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

Malaysian elevator and electrical system manufacturer EITA Resources BhD projects this year’s profit to be higher than in fiscal 2016, when it experienced a 17.3% dip, The Edge Financial Daily reports. Although EITA is bidding for domestic infrastructure projects, the company anticipates such demand to be limited going forward. Because of that, EITA plans to expand its presence in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam through acquisitions and joint ventures. The company also plans to invest more than US$1 million into R&D over the next three years, including construction of an elevator test tower in Bukit Raja, Malaysia, to be completed by the end of 2018.

EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AFTER MUMBAI STAMPEDE

Additional elevators and more than 90 escalators are part of efforts to improve pedestrian access and traffic flow at suburban Mumbai rail stations after 23 people were killed in a stampede on a foot overbridge (FOB) at Elphinstone Road station in suburban Mumbai in late September, various news outlets report. Noting the announcement of 92 escalators and several new FOBs are welcome, The Hindu said Indian Railways (IR) needs to embrace a modern approach to traffic management, particularly in Mumbai, where some stations date to the Colonial era. Immediately after the tragedy, IR announced it would invest millions over the next 12 months on safety features such as elevators and FOBs at high-density stations, The Economic Times reports.

EFESME AT INTERLIFT

As usual, the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EFESME) will participate in Interlift 2017 in Augsburg, Germany. It will hold a seminar on lift small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) participation in national and European standardization bodies on October 19. The seminar aims at highlighting the relation between SMEs and the standardization process from a dual perspective: the opportunities offered to SMEs by the standardization and the commitment of SMEs in developing an active role in the development of standards. Representatives of the European standards organizations and the European Commission will present the opportunities offered to SMEs, while technical experts with an SME background will share their related experiences.

Image courtesy of sarangib via Pixabay:

https://pixabay.com/en/train-locomotive-indian-railway-179245/

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

ELEVATORS WITH EEW SYSTEM A “MILESTONE” IN SAN FRANCISCO

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) has installed an early earthquake warning (EEW) system in four elevators at its headquarters, a 34-story office building in San Francisco's Financial District. The structure is the first high-rise building on the West Coast to have elevators equipped with immediate, automated recall. In the event of an earthquake, the elevator cars connected to the system receive a warning signal up to one minute before shaking begins, automatically stopping at the closest floor and opening the doors. Barry Anderson, PG&E vice president of Electric Distribution, called the pilot program a "tremendous milestone" in the company's emergency management and preparedness efforts.

SYBERT JOINS C.J. ANDERSON SALES TEAM

Kelsey Sybert has joined the sales team at C.J. Anderson & Co., headquartered in Harwood Heights, Illinois. She represents the fourth generation of her family in the elevator industry, starting at C.J. Anderson as a middle schooler putting stamps on newsletters and other mass mailings. Her new role entails contacting new and existing customers to acquaint them with C.J. Anderson products. Upon graduation from the University of Illinois, Sybert joined a property-management firm. C.J. Anderson states that "knowledge she acquired there will be useful in presenting our products to elevator contractors, as well as end users."

U.K’S SECOND TALLEST PLANNED IN LONDON’S CROYDON BOROUGH

Plans for a 236-m-tall, 68-story mixed-use skyscraper in London's Croydon borough have been approved by local authorities, Culture Trip reports. The design, by CZWG Architects, is striking, with a façade punctuated by twisting bronze ribbons the firm says were inspired by Henri Matisse's famous abstract relief sculptures. The structure consists of two towers connected by a cantilevered bridge, and will include 330 apartments, 16,500 m2 of office space, a restaurant, a bar and a viewing platform. Existing buildings on Lansdowne and Wellesley roads will be demolished to make way for the building, which, upon completion, will be the tallest building in the U.K., second only to The Shard.

CIBSE LIFTS GROUP ANNUAL SEMINAR ANNOUNCED

The CIBSE Lifts Group Annual Seminar will be held on November 1 at the headquarters of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) at 222 Balham High Road, SW12 9BS, U.K. Speakers include Dr. Gina Barney of Gina Barney Associates, Dr. Stefan Kaczmarczyk of the University of Northampton, Dennis Major of DG Major Ltd., Julia Munday of WSP, Dr. Richard Peters of Peters Research Ltd. and Adam Scott of SWECO. An exhibition will open at noon, and the seminar will run from 2 to 6 p.m. Fees are GBP25 (US$33) for students and apprentices, and GBP50 (US$66) for others.

Image courtesy of CZWG Architects:

http://www.czwg.com/works/one-lansdowne-road

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

CORNING JV TO SUPPLY ARCHITECTURAL LAMINATES IN CHINA

Corning Inc. has partnered with Youngy Investment Holding Group to focus on glass laminates for interior architecture applications. The joint venture (JV) will manufacture Corning® Willow® Glass laminates for interior architecture. Corning will supply its glass and glass-laminate technologies to the JV, which will manufacture the panels in Wuhu, China. The panels will be used in residential and commercial applications beginning in China. Corning and Youngy are to collaborate on manufacturing processes and equipment. Corning's products are used in elevator cab interiors, and its existing elevator-industry partnerships include those with SnapCab, National Elevator Cab & Door Corp. and Elevecture. Initial sales are expected for late 2018.

BART ELEVATOR PROJECT UNDERWAY IN CONTRA COSTA

A US$38-million, two-year project to upgrade the busy El Cerrito del Norte Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Contra Costa County, California, including the addition of two elevators, is set to get underway this month, The Mercury News reports. The project will double the size of the passenger area, and the new elevators down to the platforms are expected to ease passenger flow at the station, which sees approximately 18,000 riders per day. Located outside the ticket area and contributing to fare evasion, the two old elevators will serve as backup if the new elevators are out of service.

90-STORY MIXED-USE TOWER WOULD BE DENVER’S TALLEST

New York City's Greenwich Realty Capital intends to build a mixed-use tower of up to 90 stories and 1,000 ft. tall in Denver's central business district (CBD), The Denver Post reports. Located at 650 17th Street, Six Fifty 17 would house condominiums, a hotel, retail and parking within approximately one million sq. ft. It would be 286 ft. taller than Denver's current tallest building, the 714-ft.-tall, 56-story Republic Plaza at 370 17th Street. Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, Crown Architecture and Davis Partnership Architects are responsible for the design. If all goes as planned, Greenwich will break ground in 2018.

200 AMSTERDAM FOR NYC

An apartment building that would stand 668 ft. and be the tallest building on the Upper West Side recently gained approval from the New York City (NYC) Department of Buildings. Gothamist reported that 200 Amsterdam Avenue was greenlit following the failure of a challenge to its zoning over air rights. Revealed in June 2016, little progress has been made. Plans are still for the tower to house 400,000 sq. ft. over 51 floors with 112 residences averaging in excess of 3,000 sq. ft. each. Developer SJP Properties will begin work at the 10,000-sq.-ft. site following the filing of new permits.

CEA DINNER MEETING ON OCTOBER 5

Chicago Elevator Association (CEA) reminds members its dinner meeting is coming up this Thursday, October 5, at The Clubhouse at 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois, with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Amanda Smith of the National Association of Elevator Contractors is scheduled to speak. Those interested in attending should RSVP by this evening, October 3, email: [email protected].

Image courtesy of denverpost.com:

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/09/28/denver-tallest-building-six-fifty-17-greenwich-realty/

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

1 WTC ELEVATORS FLOODED WHEN WATER MAIN BURSTS

Two elevators at One World Trade Center (1 WTC) in New York City flooded and stalled between the 69th and 70th and 75th and 76th floors on September 26, various news outlets, including WABC-TV, report. Firefighters rescued entrapped passengers within approximately 20 min. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey say a water main on the 88th floor for 1 WTC’s air-conditioning system burst, causing water to pour into stairwells and elevators. No one was hurt, and the incident is under investigation.

CONDO TOWER WITH UNIQUE “EXOSKELETON” FOR VANCOUVER

Westbank Project Corp. has proposed a 39-story condominium tower in Vancouver's West End neighborhood designed by Bing Thom Architects with a unique outer skin, or exoskeleton, The Georgia Strait reports. If the project is approved, the tower would replace a pair of 11- and 13-story residential buildings, the former built in 1990, the latter in 1980. Located on the southeast corner of Alberni and Bidwell streets, the new tower would have more than 90 units. Bing Thom said the design reflects structures found in nature, describing the building as a potential new Vancouver landmark.

PORTUGUESE ARCHITECT’S FIRST U.S. PROJECT IN NYC

Pritzker Prize-winning Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza's first U.S. project will be on the western edge of the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City (NYC), The Architect's Newspaper reports. Work is underway on the 35-story, 400-ft.-tall condominium tower at 611 West 56th Street. Upon completion, its 173,000 sq. ft. will house 80 residences for the "ultra wealthy" with interiors by Gabellini Sheppard, along with resident amenities. A landscaped roof garden and sun deck will provide Hudson River views, and some of the units will have private terraces. Sumaida+Khurana and LENY are the developers, and SLCE Architects is the architect of record.

KONE MENA ANNOUNCES SOCIAL MEDIA COMPETITION

KONE Middle East and North Africa (MENA)’s fifth-annual Name the KONE Reference social-media competition will take place on October 1-31. Open to residents of the U.A.E., Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Morocco and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the contest requires participants to comment on video posts on KONE MENA’s Facebook and Instagram with the correct names of references to KONE equipment in iconic buildings around the globe. Each week, two people with the correct answers (one each from Facebook and Instagram) will be picked randomly to receive approximately US$82 to spend at one of the largest retailers in the region.

Image courtesy of archpaper.com:

https://archpaper.com/2017/09/new-renderings-alvaro-siza-first-building/

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

BROGREN APPOINTED CTO AT ALIMAK GROUP

Charlotte Brogren has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO) at Alimak Group. She most recently served as director general at VINNOVA, the Swedish government agency for innovation systems. Prior to that, she worked for 15 years in various R&D management positions for ABB, most recently as technology manager for the robotics division. Brogren has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lund and holds several board positions with the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences. As part of Alimak's management team, Brogren will be responsible for technology, innovation and product management. She succeeds Frank Klessens, who continues to serve as head of Product Management for the Alimak Hek brand.

KONE RESTRUCTURING TO RESULT IN LOSS OF 1,000 JOBS

KONE announced a restructuring program on September 26 expected to result in the loss of approximately 1,000 jobs globally as the company consolidates some operations. Expected to generate annual savings of EUR100 million (US$117.8 million) from 2020 on, the program is called Accelerate Winning With Customers and is based on KONE's Winning With Customers program designed to "bring new levels of customer centricity and value-adding services and solutions." Details will be directly communicated to those affected. At the end of 2016, KONE had approximately 52,000 employees, so the anticipated cuts will affect close to 2% of the workforce.

LIFTINSTITUUT PESS EXPLANATION ADDED TO VFA FORUM

In addition to the many other VFA Forum presentations, Tijmen Molema, product specialist at Liftinstituut, will give an explanation of Programmable Electronic Safety Systems (PESS) on October 20 at 11 a.m. Molema will share his experiences about this subject and give tips to avoid mistakes and make the most advantageous use of the systems. Liftinstituut added, “Since the introduction of PESS, much inside the lift business has changed. There are a lot of opportunities and advantages of modern electronics. Since the technique is relatively new for a lot of companies, mostly the same mistakes are made.”

L.A. THEATER DISTRICT CONDO TOWER BLENDS OLD AND NEW

SCG America, the U.S. subsidiary of Shanghai Construction Group, broke ground on September 21 on Perla, a 35-story condominium tower at Broadway and Fourth Street in Los Angeles' Broadway Theater District, the Los Angeles Times report. SCG is the latest Chinese developer with big plans in L.A., following in the footsteps of Shanghai's Greenland Group, which is developing Metropolis and Beijing's Oceanwide Holdings, which is behind Oceanwide Plaza. The design, by CallisonRTKL, blends old and new, with a 10-story podium echoing nearby historic structures topped by a 25-story, slender, modern tower. The property is expected to open in 2020.

Image courtesy of latimes.com:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-perla-broadway-20170921-story.html

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

OTIS SAUDI ARABIA: 445 UNITS FOR RIYADH METRO

Otis is the latest OEM selected to provide a large number of conveyances for the Riyadh Metro, one of the world's biggest construction projects underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Business reports. Otis Elevator Co. Saudi Arabia Ltd., a joint venture of Otis and EA Juffali & Brothers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was hired by FAST Consortium to supply 256 escalators, 183 elevators and six moving walks for lines four, five and six. The lines include stations, two train depots and three car-park facilities over 72 km. The machine-room-less elevators by Otis travel at up to 1 mps and include panoramic units.

ORACLE ELEVATOR MAKES SEVERAL BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS

Oracle Elevator has several major announcements. First, it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Torrington, Connecticut, to Tampa, Florida. The new offices are expected to open by October 1. Oracle also made several new hires. Kurt Meyer is chief financial officer. For the past three years, Meyer served as CFO for Truck Bodies & Equipment International. Prior to that, he spent seven years as CFO of MEI - Total Elevator Solutions. Vong Keovongsa has joined Oracle as vice president of Human Resources. Keovongsa has more than 20 years of HR and related experience. Tim Shea, who brings more than 23 years of elevator-industry expertise, has joined Oracle’s Board of Directors. Finally, Oracle announced the acquisition of Florida State Elevator, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is Oracle's second acquisition in 2017 and 18th since its founding in 2004.

MALAYSIAN ACCIDENTS LEAD TO ESCALATOR INSPECTIONS

Authorities in the Malaysian state of Sabah have conducted checks on 332 escalators at shopping malls across the state, Malaysian Digest reports. The Sabah Occupational Safety and Health Department (JKKP) undertook the checks in 2016, even though only two accidents involving children were reported in 2015. JKKP Director Zahari Hitam said the checks were in line with the National Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan for Malaysia 2020. He noted that the severity of the two incidents prompted the inspections, saying, “It should not be taken lightly since both escalator accidents resulted in serious injuries and death.” He added that the accidents mostly involved children under the age of 12 who were not properly supervised by their parents.

Image courtesy of argaam.com:

https://www.argaam.com/en/article/articledetail/id/506434

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: http://www.elevatorbooks.com

HYDERABAD AIRPORT FIRST IN INDIA WITH WHEELCHAIR LIFT

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) in Hyderabad, India, has installed a wheelchair lift for people who either cannot climb stairs or who have difficulty doing so, Nyoooz.com reports. With the installation, GHIAL becomes the first airport in the country to offer one of the accessibility devices. The lift, which was introduced under an airport service-oriented program called "Passenger is Prime," is available to domestic passengers arriving at the airport, according to the source, citing a story from Telangana Today. GHIAL said a typical day sees about 100 passengers who use wheelchairs. To reduce wait time at the elevators, wheelchair users are directed to the lift, which gently rises and lowers between the passenger gate level and the baggage claim area.

 

APPLICATIONS REVEAL NEW PLAN FOR BROOKLYN TOWER

Developers have filed permits with New York City's (NYC) Department of Buildings (DOB) for 420 Albee Square, a high-rise project for downtown Brooklyn that's been in the planning stage in one form or another for more than two years, New York YIMBY reports. The building, originally envisioned as Brooklyn's tallest residential tower, was later reconfigured as a 600-ft.-tall office building. The most-recently filed DOB permits reveal a 36-story, 495-ft.-tall office building that will hold 385,460 sq. ft. of space. Six floors will house a school, with the rest dedicated to offices. JEMB Realty and the NYC Economic Development Corp. are developing the site, and FXFowle is listed as the architect of the latest version.

 

WOMAN STRIKES HEAD IN ESCALATOR FALL

A woman was taken to a hospital after she fell and hit her head while riding an escalator in Singapore, the Straits Times reports. A witness said the woman, who appeared to be about 70 years old, fell when she was almost to the top of the upward-traveling escalator at a grocery store on September 24. She hit the back of her head and "was bleeding very badly," though she remained alert before being taken to the hospital, the witness said. The cause of the accident was not reported, but the witness, a long-time shopkeeper at the complex, told the Straits Times the escalator frequently jerks as it moves, and breaks down often. Mechanics checking the escalator the next day found a dead rat wedged under a rail, the witness said, but it was not clear if that played a role in the accident.

 

MAN INSTALLS ILLEGAL ELEVATOR TO SIXTH-FLOOR APARTMENT

A man in China who had grown weary of climbing the stairs to his sixth-floor apartment installed a private elevator that authorities in Chongqing are calling illegal, the Global Times reports, citing a story from Sina Video. A relative said the man had the glass-enclosed elevator, which stops only at the ground and sixth floors, installed last year. "We live on the top floor," said the relative, adding that the man "was tired of climbing stairs." Local building authorities said that no plans or permit applications were ever filed, so the elevator is considered an illegal structure. An investigation has been launched.

Image courtesy of Nyoooz.com:

https://www.nyoooz.com/news/hyderabad/923610/hyderabads-airport-first-to-have-wheelchair-lifts-in-india/

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