As a ninth-floor resident of a 10-story building without a working elevator, Robbi Kaup feels trapped in her own apartment.
Kaup, 75, lives in the Mississippi Lofts at 106 E. 3rd Street in downtown Davenport, adjacent to the Adler Theatre. She moved into the building four years ago and was amazed with what she saw.
“I just thought it was so special, but they ... don’t spend money to fix things, and it’s gone downhill so fast I wouldn’t even recognize the building (today,)” she said. “If I saw it today, I would never have rented.”
The ‘they’ in question is Premier Housing Management, a Minnesota-based company that manages and develops properties in the Midwest and Oregon. According to its website, Premier owns multiple other buildings in Davenport including Cobble Stone Place farther down on 3rd Street and the Jackson Renaissance, formerly the Jackson School Building, on West 16th Street.
People are also reading…
Scott County records indicate the 56-unit building has been owned by Mississippi Housing Partners since 2006 when it was purchased for nearly $500,000. The deed owner has the same address as Premier Housing. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since Oct. 22, 1998.
Premier did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
The main problem Kaup, and many other residents, are facing now is no elevator access despite there being three in the building. Kaup said she could not physically walk up and down nine flights of stairs, especially with groceries.
Residents at the Mississippi Lofts at 106 E. Third Street. in Davenport are sounding the alarm after elevators in the 10 story building have not worked for several days.
Late last week the elevator was making unusual noises, and by Saturday it stopped working all together, she said. The problem persisted through the weekend and into this week, but safety concerns surrounding it have been ongoing.
“When you’re on it, it shakes. It does not feel safe,” Kaup said.
By Wednesday, there was still no working elevator. Development and Neighborhood Services Director Rich Oswald confirmed via email Wednesday that a complaint was received Monday. The department contacted property management, who in turn contacted Schumacher Elevator Company out of Rockford to fix the problem.
Oswald said the work was expected to be completed by end of day Wednesday.
According to OSHA, elevators need to be inspected at least once a year. The Times has submitted a Freedom of Information Open Records request for copies of state inspections on the elevators in the building.
The Iowa Division of Labor states owners must have them inspected on a regular schedule, but they also have the freedom to hire a private, qualified inspector. If they choose not to, the state will send an inspector to the site.
The division has a public portal that allows users to search the status of elevators. For the Mississippi Lofts, it lists one as being dormant, a second as approved and a third states a safety order has been issued. A fourth, it says, has been torn out.
According to the ADA, the only structures that do not require an elevator are buildings with less than three stories, with fewer than 3,000 square feet per floor or shopping center or mall. The ADA also specifies repairs need to be made as soon as possible.
Kaup said the elevator not working had lead to a variety of consequences, including a lack of cleanliness. With no easy way to get pets down the stairs, animals are defecating in the hallway, she said. Additionally, people are smoking in their apartments, despite there being a no-smoking policy, because there is no easy access to the outdoors, she said.
Outside the building is a doorbell for the main office. No one answered when reporters inquired on Wednesday afternoon.
According to a listing on Apartments.com, the building features amenities such as controlled access, a property manager on site and wheelchair accessible rooms. It does not list rent, but does specify that income restrictions apply.
Now, Kaup is trying to find a new place to live, but she cannot walk down the nine flights of stairs necessary to do so.
Artists gather for the annual Chalk Fest hosted by Quad City Arts
Artists begin working on their drawings. The two-day competition is split into two divisions, the general competition and the youth competition.
Maia Glover colors her chalk art during the Quad City Arts Chalk Fest on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Rock Island. Glover said she began work on her lighthouse piece around 9 a.m.
Youth art team Alexis Freitus and Gavin Freitus work on their chalk piece. Artists compete for category awards such as best use of color, best 3D and best reproduction.
Clarissa Noel creates some shade as she works on her chalk piece. Noel used an umbrella to ward off the sun as she worked.
Alexander VandeWalle begins the outline of his art piece. VandeWalle's final piece will be a picture of the actress Marilyn Monroe.
A child draws a picture on the sidewalk where a community chalk artwork is set up during the Quad City Arts chalk Fest on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Rock Island.
One of the youth artists works on their art piece Saturday, June 24, 2023, during the Quad City Arts Chalk Fest in Rock Island. They worked on the first part of their art piece, which was a bird skull.
Alexis Freitus colors a flower petal blue during the Quad City Arts Chalk Fest. Youth artists compete for a first-prize award of $150 and $200 in art supplies that will go to their school. Second place is a prize of $100 and third is a prize of $50.
A youth art team works on coloring and shading their chalk piece Saturday during the Quad City Arts Chalk Fest. Adult and youth groups are both eligible to receive the People's Choice Award of $250 which is chosen by those that attended the festival.
