Students living in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Sandburg Hall say they've been left climbing dozens of flights of stairs because elevators in the 26-story North Tower keep breaking down with little explanation from the university. For at least one resident managing a chronic medical condition, the outages can make using the stairs physically difficult.
A 22-Flight Climb With No Warning
According to WISN 12 News, Sandburg Hall's elevators have been consistently out of order, and students say the university has offered little explanation for the disruptions. One student who has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, told the station she experiences dizziness when forced to walk down the building's spiral staircase, which spans 22 flights. Students interviewed by the station say they simply deserve more information about why the outages keep happening.
The frustration comes as residents pay thousands of dollars each semester to live in the dorm, per the same WISN report.
University Points to Ongoing Modernization
WISN reported that it contacted UWM about the students' concerns, and a university spokesperson said work is underway to modernize the elevators at Sandburg Hall. According to UWM, one elevator was taken out of service as part of that modernization project, and the work has caused intermittent issues with the building's other elevators. The university expects the project to be completed by the end of October, per the same account.
This isn't the first time Sandburg Hall's elevators have failed. On March 11, 2026, a water pipe burst in the North Tower and sprayed directly into an elevator shaft, taking elevators offline for days and forcing residents to climb over 20 flights of stairs, according to Media Milwaukee. That same reporting noted a separate fire suppression system incident in the North Tower caused significant water damage across lower floors and required the temporary displacement of 19 students to alternative housing.
Sandburg Hall Renovation Plans
Sandburg Hall is UWM's largest student residence hall complex, housing 2,149 residents across four towers, according to UW-Milwaukee Housing. Working elevators are a necessity rather than a convenience for residents on upper floors.
A proposed renovation of Sandburg Hall's North, South, and West towers included plumbing, HVAC, and elevator equipment and controls, according to JP Cullen.
State Rules Govern Elevator Safety
Under Wisconsin rules, elevators must pass mandatory annual safety inspections conducted by state-licensed elevator inspectors, according to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. For now, students say outages have forced them to use the stairwells while modernization work continues toward its expected end-of-October completion.
