Bang Pa-in City of Asheville Statement –
“Asheville City Hall is an identified historic national landmark which required special attention be given to preservation of key elements of the elevator cab design. A historic color study was performed in 1988 and guided much of the interior design of the elevator cabs, as well the designer elected to preserve elements of the manual system inside the cab to stay in repose. The newly restored elevators are modernized with fully automated controls and safety features. It’s a testament to the history of the City – the respectful preservation and restoration of the old systems while turning a page into the modern, sustainable, and safe way of operating elevators in City Hall.
The City of Asheville identified the need to replace and modernize the three manual elevators in City Hall in 2014. The elevators were original to the 1928 building, and could no longer be maintained without great expense in custom fabrication of parts. In 2019, the City contracted with Weaver Cooke Construction and MHA Works under a design-build contract, and in 2020 was authorized by the Historic Resources Commission to begin demolition and construction. Since City Hall is an operational building, the elevators were replaced sequentially. Elevator no. 3 is the last remaining manual elevator to be decommissioned after the media event, and is one of the last two manual elevators remaining in the state according to the NC Department of Labor.”
