Water Knocks Out New Binghamton Parking Garage Elevator

The elevator in the city of Binghamton's recently-opened $25 million downtown parking garage is out of service.

Until repairs are completed, people who park in the five-story structure on Water Street face the prospect of trudging up and down stairs.

Sporadic problems with the elevator just north of the Boscov's department store were observed in recent weeks.

A representative of LAZ Parking - which operates the city-owned ramp - said the elevator had been out of service since the weekend.

An Otis Elevator maintenance worker discovered a substantial amount of water had infiltrated a control panel on the fourth floor of the garage. It was not immediately clear whether the water intrusion had damaged electronic components that control the system.

Water issues have been noted since the upper four levels of the parking facility opened one year ago.

There have been signs that water had been seeping into the elevator shaft in recent months. It's not known what has been responsible for the water-related problems.

The Binghamton fire marshal's office dispatched a unit to the garage Monday to investigate an issue with the building's sprinkler system.

The system apparently lost air pressure. That problem was not believed to be related to the elevator malfunction.

Mayor Jared Kraham announced the full opening of the Water Street ramp in March 2025.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A look inside the Water Street parking garage elevator on March 23, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.