Mesa County approves $429,008 elevator modernization at Community Services Building

The Mesa County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-0 on April 21, 2026, to approve a $429,008.42 contract with Colorado Custom Lift to modernize three elevators at the Community Services Building, county Facilities Manager Frederico Vargas said.

Vargas told the board the elevators are original to the building and about 23 years old, and that the modernization is intended to address safety and reliability issues. “We have 3 elevators. They’re basically, original to the building. They’re 23 years old,” Vargas said.

Why it matters: the project upgrades hydraulics and controllers, brings elevator communications to newer ADA standards that improve ability for hearing- or sight-impaired riders to contact help, and is intended to reduce out-of-service incidents that require external repair teams.

Vargas said the county solicited bids and selected Colorado Custom Lift (named in the agenda as Colorado Custom Lift; the transcript also recorded variants such as “Colorado Customs” and “Color Custom”). He told commissioners that the vendor’s local presence in Grand Junction, on 29 Road, would allow a technician to arrive faster than some larger, more distant firms. “They could have a tech here within less than an hour,” Vargas said.

Project details presented to the board include modernization of two public elevators and one freight elevator, an estimated construction timeline of roughly 18 weeks, and that the county expects at least a one-year warranty on the upgraded components. Vargas said the work replaces and upgrades mechanical systems while retaining the existing elevator cabs: “Modernization is taking the existing … and just upgrading everything. You’ll keep the cab,” he explained.

A commissioner asked about warranty and parts availability; Vargas said the selected vendor uses universal controllers and parts that are readily available and serviceable by multiple technicians, which was given as a reason the county considered it the best value.

The board voted to approve the contract and authorize the chair to sign; the motion carried 3 to 0. Work is expected to be staged so the elevators are not all out of service at once, and the county will oversee scheduling and phasing during the roughly 18-week project.

The board then moved on to other business.