HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – The state has identified some serious issues at the Ernest Proulx Garage in Holyoke, a municipal parking garage that has fallen into serious disrepair.
Holyoke on the path to take back control of school system The Division of Occupational Licensure and Architectural Access found the elevator has been shut down since 2015 due to the inground cylinder, which lifts the elevator, leaking oil into the ground, which is a violation and creating “a serious public safety risk.”
Caroline Kirk works nearby as a nurse and has concerns about patients not having access to a working elevator. “If they are in a wheel chair or they are physically not able to walk, the elevator is an important part of getting them to the office,” Kirk said.
The state also found the continued elevator closure could be a code violation, which requires that access to features be properly maintained. In addition to the elevator being out of service for almost 10 years, two out of the four stairwells at this garage are completely inaccessible.
22News spoke to Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia about the problems. He had not received the report yet, but connected with the state about the problems. Garcia said once the city receives the report, they have two weeks to respond with a plan.
“Our plan didn’t include the immediate attention that we need because there is environmental concerns regarding the garage, but you know we are going to revisit that and make sure that we’re getting the proper cost estimates to address this new issue,” said Mayor Garcia.
The mayor has plans to address problems at all three municipal parking garages. In the short term, the city has taken steps to address safety problems. A security company has been hired to patrol the Proulx Garage and they are getting estimates for security cameras.
The mayor said once he gets estimates on all the work, he hopes to work with the City Council and ideally start the work within the next fiscal year.
Right now, repairs to the Proulx Garage are initially estimated around $750,000, not including the environmental impact from the leaking oil.
Local News
Alanna Flood is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Alanna on X @alannafloodnews and view her bio to see more of her work.
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