Courthouse Clock Tower Elevator Renovation Almost Complete

Renovations on the elevator in the Santa Barbara Courthouse clock tower are almost complete.

The tower and observation deck have been closed for about four months while work is being done.

The observation deck offers a panoramic view of the city.

Before, the elevator stopped one flight below the deck and visitors had to climb a flight of stairs to get there.

Now, the elevator will ride all the way to the top, so people with mobility issues can take in the sights from above the city.

“You’ll get me crying now, this will allow people with mobility issues to see a view that you and I have been able to see for quite some time but, they’ve never been able to see,” said architect Robert Ooley.

On Friday, June 29, engineers were going to do a dry run of the elevator, but work wasn’t completed in time and superstition came into play.

“It’s the 90th anniversary of the earthquake that created this building. Nine floors up is the observation deck and it took $900,000 to get there to create a new stop. That’s three nine’s,” said Ooley.

Ooley said the elevator is going up and down, but workers still need to place sensors on each floor so the elevator knows where to stop.

Ooley said he hopes the tower will be back open by the second week in July.