Crystal Towers elevator repairs expected to be finished early next year

The first of two elevators at Crystal Towers in Winston-Salem is now expected to be finished in January.

Renovations of the lobby at Crystal Towers have been completed alongside upgrades to its laundry facilities, according to a presentation before the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem's Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Residents have long pushed the city to address living conditions at the building.

HAWS Executive Director Kevin Cheshire says it's important the agency owns the situation, but also should recognize it's inherited.

"We need to be mindful of that and not feel like when we see the negative headlines and that when the issues are identified they are issues of our creation," he says. "But we need to be working hard everyday to find a solution."

The first elevator at Crystal Towers was originally planned to be done in November, but was delayed due to a needed part. The second was expected to take 8-10 weeks to fix.

The update on Crystal Towers was part of a year-end review that also showed improvements for the housing authority.

Cheshire says renovations are currently in progress at Healy Towers, and will start at Sunrise Towers in 2024.