HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A contract has been signed and repairs are set to start as soon as possible on an elevator that has been out of operation since last summer at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment.

While the elevator will be repaired, Lowe Mill spokesperson Sarah Cintrin Cook says it will still have some of the vintage charm it had before.

“It will be a new elevator, it wont be the exact same one. It will hopefully look similar to the rest of Lowe Mill. It won’t be operated by a mechanic, it will be like a normal elevator that you would push the button for,” Cook said.

The biggest issue that impacted how quickly the elevator could get fixed was the fact that the elevator was built in 1901. Up until recently, finding a company that was able to repair an elevator that old was near impossible for the art center.

It has been a frustrating couple of months searching for a company that could take on repairing an older elevator, and the lack of a working elevator has impacted both vendors and artists as well customers.

The only way to access the second and third floor was by taking the stairs, and that is not an accessible option for everyone.

Now, with the repairs in the works on the elevator, people are excited for the future.

“We’ve had several studios moved from the second floor to the first floor because of accessibility issues, and we’ve also had several studios that have had to shutdown due to just either supply issues, getting what they need up and down all those stairs, or other different output issues… It’s going to be a really significant change and exciting for everybody,” said Cook.

Cook also told News 19 that there has been discussion about adding an additional elevator to the property in the future.