Both elevators at Gateway Pointe Independent Living in Euclid are out of service, leaving elderly residents of the three-story senior complex to climb stairs to reach their apartments — including one woman who is almost completely blind. One elevator has been down for more than a year, while the second failed just under two weeks ago, according to residents.
Catherine Haywood, who lives in the building, told News 5 Cleveland that not getting up and down on the elevator makes life difficult for her. She said plainly that the building is dangerous. Fellow resident Kim Washington said something needs to be done on behalf of seniors unable to speak for themselves, calling the situation unfair. Washington said she helped a woman on the stairwell just the day before who was carrying a bag while using a cane.
Resident Liz Kilgore said people with serious health problems live in the building, and that carrying grocery bags while navigating the stairs is difficult for many of them. Kilgore said she cannot pay rent on time and live under these conditions. Another resident, Janice Hurn, said residents are not being heard.
Management Points to a Custom Repair and a Six-Figure Bill
The property manager told the station the elevators are being worked on, with a door currently out for repair and the long-dead elevator suffering from a software problem. The recently broken elevator reportedly requires a custom repair after tenants moved furniture into the building. Management said it has spent $100,000 on the effort and that it is frustrated the repair company has not provided a timeline, while insisting it is doing everything possible to expedite the work. The manager said there is currently no timeline for finishing the repairs, and said property management is helping residents use the stairs in the meantime.
Built in 1989, the complex is a 123-unit residential building totaling roughly 70,955 square feet, according to Yardi Matrix. Petrick Property Group has managed the building, located at 4 Gateway Drive, since acquiring it in July 2019. The outage has already affected emergency response: crews arrived at the building and may have difficulty accessing its upper floors, per the station's reporting.
Councilman Says the City Should Get Tougher
Ward 2 Councilman Richard Tolton, who began a new four-year council term in January, said he would fix the elevators himself if he could. He said he, the mayor, and the city have been working with the building's management, but added that the city should be more aggressive with management to convey the seriousness of the situation. Tolton also said the elevator outage may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Ohio law places the duty to keep elevators safe squarely on landlords. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.04(A)(4), residential landlords must maintain elevators, along with electrical, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning systems, in good and safe working order. Separately, state law requires that every passenger elevator be inspected twice every 12 months, under oversight from the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Industrial Compliance, which enforces elevator safety codes and operating certificates statewide.
Trash and a Downed Tree Add to Tenant Complaints
Residents also reported cleanliness problems and a lack of repairs elsewhere on the property, including a tree that has been down for nearly two months. The property manager acknowledged that trash can become messy over weekends but said a cleaning company services common areas three times a week. Management also said the building has cleared any violations it previously received.
The breakdown at Gateway Pointe fits a wider pattern of elevator failures hitting Euclid-area senior and multifamily housing this year. In July, the City of Euclid condemned and ordered a one-week emergency evacuation of Lakeland Commons after months of broken elevators and code violations went unresolved. In September, state regulators ordered all elevators shut down at 444 Park Apartments in nearby Richmond Heights, stranding elderly tenants amid safety hazards and scarce replacement parts, Hoodline reported at the time.
Average one-bedroom rent in Euclid runs around $756 a month, well below Ohio's statewide average of $1,055, according to Apartment Finder — a gap that helps explain why many fixed-income seniors at Gateway Pointe have few options to relocate when building conditions deteriorate. The city is also backing newer alternatives: this month, the Port of Cleveland approved support for Silver Birch, a planned 120-unit, elevator-served senior community along Euclid Avenue, part of a broader push to address the city's aging housing stock.
