Residents at Harnwell College House expressed frustration with frequent elevator-related issues amid the building’s ongoing two-year modernization project.
The project — managed by Facilities and Real Estate Services as part of a capital renewal program — involves taking one elevator at Harnwell and Harrison College House out of service each semester between September 2025 and July 2027. While three elevators are expected to be operational at any given time, residents told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the remaining elevators commonly experience complications.
In a statement to the DP, a FRES spokesperson attributed the disruptions to increased demand placed on elevators that have not been upgraded.
“Elevators that have not yet been upgraded can experience periodic interruptions, particularly because three elevators are temporarily doing the work of four,” the spokesperson wrote.
The project is intended to “improve reliability, reduce wait times, and create a smoother ride experience overall,” and that “minimal noisy work is expected, and will occur 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
The FRES spokesperson clarified that differences between upgraded and non-upgraded elevators may affect how calls are handled, but said that a licensed technician is available continuously to respond to issues.
Despite these assurances, residents described ongoing disruptions. In an April 12 email to Harnwell residents, Residential and Hospitality Services notified students that Elevator #201 — one of the elevators not under renovation — was out of service, leaving only two functioning elevators.
The email added that “the elevator repair company has been contacted to assess the broken elevator, and we will share more information after they arrive on site,” and encouraged residents to "leave additional time to get to appointments or consider using the stairs if possible.”
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In conversations with the DP, several Harnwell residents expressed frustration about the current elevators.
Wharton and College sophomore Darius Anta said that while they expected some inconvenience during renovations, the system has not improved over time.
“It seems like even when we do get the actual improvement, it doesn’t make it better,” Anta said.
They added that the newly repaired elevator is only programmed to go up, meaning that "functionally" only two of the four elevators are working.
“It leads me to wonder, ‘What is the point and what are we using all of these funds to do?’” Anta said. “One thing that would be helpful is just greater clarity as to what is happening and why.”
Wharton sophomore Iian Chen described the elevator system as a “game” explaining that he “typically leaves 15 minutes early” so he does not “have to fight for space in the elevator.”
“For some reason, this is the slowest elevator I’ve ever been on,” Chen said. He added that the “two slow elevators and one half-working elevator … takes away from the convenience of living so close to everything.”
Wharton sophomore Ethan Hunt had a similar sentiment, describing the elevators as “pretty awful,” especially around 10 a.m. when students are often heading to class.
In an email from RHS sent on April 9, Harnwell residents were made aware that “all elevators are currently down and not functioning” and that “the elevator repair company is on their way to assess the broken elevators.”
After April 9, Hunt said that there were several times when he had to “walk up 23 flights of stairs.”
College sophomore Sofia Galperin — who was formerly a DP staffer — explained that Harnwell elevators typically travel directly to higher floors before “picking people up on the way down.” She said that because she lives on the 14th floor, the elevators are normally full by the time they reach her.
Galperin explained that she was “confused as to why they didn’t start fixing the elevator over the summer.” She added that she felt as though the renovations “should not be happening during the middle of the year entirely.”
Like Galperin, Engineering sophomore Jessie Chen told the DP that she hopes repairs can be finished over the summer.
“I think my consensus is that it’s just a very confusing situation,” Chen said. “Every morning, every afternoon is like a completely different Harnwell elevator experience.”
“We’re not putting people on the moon — it’s not hard to get three functioning elevators while one is getting repaired,” Anta concluded. “I think the consensus is we just like to see some more mitigation of those smaller issues that really impact someone living here.”
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Senior reporter Amy Liao covers clubs and societies and can be reached at liao@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow her on X @amyliiao.
