Michael Gardner, CEO of Gardner Capital, acknowledged his company's responsibility in the prolonged elevator outage at Jubilee at Texas Parkway, a senior living facility in Missouri City. During a recent visit, which marked Gardner's first to the property in its four-year operation, he met with city leaders and residents to address the issue. "Everyone should have an elevator," Gardner stated. "It should not be a problem. Period. End of story," in a meeting that was his first acknowledgment of the crisis, as reported by KHOU 11.
Despite the assurance, Gardner did not specify the nature of the compensation but mentioned that further discussions with city leaders would take place, according to KPRC 2. The decision comes after months of complaints from residents who, including many with mobility challenges, were adversely impacted by the lack of elevator access. The issue reached the attention of city officials, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), and even Congressman Al Green.
As a response to the growing pressure and just before a significant compliance deadline, one of the two elevator bays at Jubilee was repaired and brought back into service. Notably, the TDHCA had warned Gardner Capital that failure to address both elevators could result in lost tax subsidies or a bar from future housing projects. "Staff have been told one elevator is operational," stated a TDHCA spokesperson. "However, due to the second elevator still being inoperable, TDHCA compliance staff will refer the issue of noncompliance to the agency's Enforcement Committee for action," as noted by KPRC 2.
Asset Living, the management company overseeing Jubilee, has confirmed one elevator's restoration as of July 1 and highlighted ongoing work to repair the second elevator. Residents like Carolyn Harrison express tentative relief, noting, "It feels good," referring to the elevator finally working again, "I just pray that it continues to work," she told KPRC 2. Missouri City Council Member Jeffrey L. Boney praised Gardner for his engagement with stakeholders but emphasized the importance of concrete actions. "This is not just lip service," Boney said, "We’re going to be holding him accountable moving forward and we expect commitments in writing," as per a report by KPRC 2.
