Elevators raise old buildings to new level

GUANGZHOU - As Liu Ming, 68, leaves his apartment, he is always careful to check that he has all his belongings: ID card, keys, money, phone, pills, shopping bag...

Liu lives in fear of forgetting something when he goes out because he lives on the eighth floor and, without an elevator, climbing the stairs is like climbing a mountain.

Liu, who lives in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, says he has worn out his knees by climbing the stairs every day and he even has to pay extra money when parcels are delivered.

"It's annoying and tiresome," Liu said. "Getting an elevator installed in our building has been one of my preoccupations for years."

In the middle of January, Liu's dream, which he shares with many of his neighbors, seemed about to come true as Guangzhou's lift installation project reached his building.

Back in 2016, Guangzhou issued a string of rules and regulations about adding elevators to existing buildings. About 1,000 old buildings have had elevators installed since then, according to the city's land resources and planning commission.

Most of them are old buildings like Liu's that were built in the 1980s, when reform and opening up had just begun. To save on costs, most buildings with fewer than nine floors were built without elevators.

Deng Kanqiang, deputy director of the Guangzhou urban renewal bureau, said that renovating the old neighborhoods can substantially improve quality of life.

"The work is demanding and the government has to solve numerous disputes over the rights and interests of residents," Deng said.

Some districts in Guangzhou have opened "elevator offices" especially to deal with the problems of elevator installation.

On Caihong Street, Liwan district, one office has dealt with the problems of about 6,000 people, holding more than 200 consultation and mediation meetings since May.

Elevator installations require the agreement of two-thirds of the owners of any building.

"Opposition comes mainly from residents on lower floors and mostly over concerns about safety, fees and noise," said Wei Tingsheng, a volunteer at the elevator office. "Besides, old buildings often have no space for an elevator, so they have to be installed outside the buildings, which can cause problems with natural light in the apartments.

"However, we have gained experience in dealing with people's problems and concerns, and become better at helping residents reach agreement in their negotiations."

With the help of Wei, residents in Liu's building held several rounds of negotiations before reaching a consensus.

The whole installation will cost around 700,000 yuan ($110,000), with a government subsidy covering 100,000 yuan. Residents on the first and second floors are exempt from paying fees, while those from the third to the ninth floors share the construction cost-from 20,000 yuan to 50,000 per household-based on the floor they live on. The higher the floor, the more they pay.

Residents on the top seven floors also pay 60,000 yuan in compensation to each household on the first and second floors for the inconvenience.

In addition to Guangzhou, more than 20 cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou, Xiamen and Chengdu, are also installing elevators in old buildings.

Beijing is expected to set up more than 400 elevators in old neighborhoods this year, with plans for 1,000 more by 2020.