From left, Harrietstown Housing Authority Chairwoman Emily Fogarty, Executive Director Sarah Clarkin, town of Harrietstown Councilwoman Patricia Meagher and her grandson Jack help cut the ribbon Wednesday on the new elevators at the Lake Flower Apartments on Kiwassa Road. (Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

SARANAC LAKE — The completion of an elevator modernization project at the Lake Flower Apartments was celebrated on Wednesday.

As residents and staff of the Kiwassa Road high rise looked on, Harrietstown Housing Authority Executive Director Sarah Clarkin, Housing Authority Chairwoman Emily Fogarty and town of Harrietstown Councilwoman Patricia Meagher cut a pair of ribbons to mark the end of a $450,000 project that spanned two-and-a-half years.

“This day has been a long time in the making,” Clarkin said.

Clarkin said the building’s old elevators hadn’t seen many upgrades since they were installed 40 years ago when the high-rise was constructed. Finding replacement parts was difficult because many of the parts were obsolete, she said. The elevators also broke down frequently. From January 2012 to July 2013 alone, the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to eight calls of people stuck in the elevators.

The modernization project began in 2013 when Clarkin said she learned upgrading the elevators would be eligible for grant funding. The challenge, however, was that the Housing Authority was not considered an eligible applicant, Clarkin explained.

That’s when Clarkin said she approached the Harrietstown town board, led then by Supervisor Bob Bevilacqua, and the town agreed to apply for the funding. The money was not awarded that year, but a subsequent application in 2014 was successful, and the project won a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant. The Housing Authority kicked in $50,000 of its own for the project.

Most of 2015 involved completing paperwork, getting the necessary permits and lining up contractors, Clarkin said. Construction began in the late summer of last year and wrapped up earlier this year.

“There’s been a great deal of work done but you really don’t get to see much of it,” Clarkin noted. “They removed the old motors, they installed new motors and all the mechanicals have been changed. We have new panels, new lights, and all the electronics are new.”

As part of the electrical contract for the project, a system has been put in to directly notify the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department in the event of an emergency with the elevators. Machine work, a ventilation system and lighting were also included in the project’s electrical contract.

Clarkin thanked the town of Harrietstown, specifically Supervisor Mike Kilroy and Clerk Patricia Gillmett for their help with the project, along with the Housing Authority board and staff.

The Lake Flower Apartments has 78 apartments and currently about 75 residents, about half of whom are disabled, Clarkin said.

“This elevator project enables people to live independently who otherwise might not be able to do that,” she said.

With this project behind it, the Housing Authority is eyeing several other upgrades to the high-rise. Clarkin said a facade renovation project is in the works to repair the building’s deteriorating exterior bricks. An architectural and engineering firm has been hired to conduct an evaluation.

“We’re hoping that study, which is due in October, will make recommendations on what we need to do to stop the current deterioration and prevent more deterioration,” Clarkin said.