Residents at Richmond apartment left without working elevator for nearly two weeks

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Residents of the Circ Apartments in Richmond claimed they have been without a functioning elevator for nearly two weeks, as of Aug. 8.

According to tenant James Beauchamp, the elevator went out of service due to severe storms on Sunday, July 27. During the height of the power outage, over 90,000 customers served by Dominion Energy were without power Sunday evening.

Management attributed the ongoing delays to “complex mechanical failure" and claimed a replacement motor is necessary. However, no timeline has been provided for when the elevator will be fixed, and tenants have been told there will be no financial compensation for the inconvenience, according to Beauchamp.

Beauchamp, who lives on the sixth floor of the apartment building, located at 1137 W. Grace Street, said this has become a recurring issue.

“It all started [around] December 2024,” he said. “Since then, there's probably been seven to ten elevator outages.”

He called the repeated breakdowns “unacceptable,” especially for those living on upper floors.

Another resident, 73-year-old Carol Ross, has been deeply impacted by the outage. She also lives on the sixth floor and suffers from stage 4 breast cancer and emphysema. Despite her health issues, she is forced to climb the stairs daily.

“When I go to the grocery store or go shopping, I have a bag and I hold on with both hands,” Ross said. “I lean back so I [can] control my center of gravity, but I do have to stop and rest on the way.”

Despite the hardship, Ross said she doesn’t want to leave her apartment.

“I can't move. I love my apartment too much,” she said.

Still, she hopes building management or city leaders will take stronger action.

“They need to get involved more somehow," Ross added. "Whether it's kicking in money we can use—we really need a second elevator.”

Residents said they are left with few options and little communication from management. Many are bracing for added uncertainty as they wait for a solution.

8News has reached out to PRG Real Estate for further comment and will continue to follow this developing story.