City Council approved contracts for about $600,000 for a City Hall elevator modification and accessible doors and inspection services.

Council awarded the elevator project contracts to Otis Elevator for $312,828 and Lundy Construction for $201,692. Gannett-Fleming, of State College, will provide construction on-site management of Otis and Lundy’s work not to exceed $77,980, said Jon Sander, city engineer. Gannett-Fleming is managing the construction and providing construction inspector to oversee the firms, he said.

Otis is replacing the elevator, while the elevator floor remains. The elevator will receive a new enclosure, controls on the interior and exterior and meet current Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines as established by the U.S. Department of Justice, Sander said.

Lundy will perform work such as on the elevator shaft and the kit, heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the elevator shaft, fire-proofing to bring the elevator up to code and demolition of the existing elevator, Sander said.

Lundy will install the entrance doors on the north and west faces of the building along with the hand railing on the steps, he said.

The accessibility upgrades are part of the city responsibility in a consent decree approved by U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann in March.

The consent decree between the city and Center for Independent Living, an advocacy organization for the disability community, was signed to avoid a federal lawsuit, Sander said.

Karen Koch, representing CIL, said the administration was not following up on several items in the consent decree and urged it do so.

Council President Randall J. Allison noted how the contracts were awarded for the ramp, elevator and doors — the agreed to accessibility upgrades.

Further work is planned, according to Mayor Derek Slaughter who told the Sun-Gazette the contracts were awarded for the ramp, elevator and doors and now the city will move inside the building. A certified accessibility inspector went over the building top to bottom this past week, Sander said. Accessibility-related issues with bathrooms and other building upgrades are on the city to-do-list, he said.