Generation X meets Gen2

Students at the University of Arkansas will probably be the first people in the state to ride on the new Gen2 elevator system by Otis Elevator Co. The 750,000-SF parking deck off the UA’s south quad will get Arkansas’ first Gen2 model, a serpentine-belt driven elevator that’s supposed to be less expensive, safer and smoother than conventional cable-driven models.r

Otis is showcasing the innovation, along with a new escalator product, on Oct. 15 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rogers.r

J.R. Anderson, Otis’ Northwest Arkansas operations manager, said the Gen2 is more compact and eliminates the need for a rooftop machine room, giving architects the ability to get “back out of the box.”r

A special code variance was required to even allow the Gen2 to be included in the parking deck.r

Polk Stanley Yeary Architects Ltd. of Fayetteville is designing the $22 million facility at the intersection of Duncan and William Streets. It will be nine stories and have the ability to hold 2,100 vehicles, making it the largest parking deck in Arkansas.r