Pitt to complete Cathedral elevator modernization project next spring

The days of pressing a button when you get in a Cathedral of Learning elevator are coming to end as kiosks are replacing what used to be an internal function.

The University announced Monday that the first phase of the elevator renovation project in the Cathedral of Learning has inched a step closer toward completion. New “destination” elevators will be replacing the traditional elevators.

Mascaro Construction, LLC and Otis Elevator, the two contractors handling the renovations, have told Pitt that the first set of elevators, cars F and J, will be modernized and fully operational later this month, according to Pitt spokesperson John Fedele. The two companies expect phase two of the renovations, which will upgrade cars H and L, to be complete by the end of September.

Pitt began construction on the elevators last August and expects the whole project to be done sometime next spring. In total, the project cost more than $10 million, with Pitt contributing $200,000 and the rest coming from the Pennsylvania government, Fedele said in an email Monday.

The renovation project is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fedele said, and is expected to be more energy efficient.

While the elevator system is under construction, some cars will be on the old system and some on the new system.

The new cars, Fedele said, are “destination-based” and will move passengers up and down more efficiently. Rather than pressing a button in the elevator, riders will enter the floor they need to go to at a kiosk outside the elevators, which Pitt will install on each floor. The kiosk will then direct users to the appropriate elevator, Fedele said.

“When completed, the new system is expected to significantly reduce wait times, reduce congestion on the ground and first floor elevator lobbies during peak demand times, and significantly improve the reliability of the elevators,” Fedele said.