Members of the City Council met Tuesday to discuss the fact that there is still no elevator installed in the former Verizon Building on Sixth Avenue, the future home of City Hall, as was required under the city's lease agreement with Judge Development Corporation.

During the Law Committee meeting, the councilmen reviewed information from JDC on some of the delays regarding the elevator's installation, including the fact that an elevator had not yet been purchased and that it could likely take approximately 12 weeks to acquire one.

"So we're talking about sometime around Labor Day before we see an elevator in Verizon," said Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, who factored an additional two weeks into his estimate for the elevator's installation.

Dunne also stated that he believed the council should pass legislation at their June meeting to cease payments on the city's lease for the property because Judge had violated the lease contract, which stated that an elevator should have been installed by March 1.

Corporation Counsel Charlie Sarris, who declined to discuss whether such legislation, or even the possibility of litigation, were options for the city in this matter while a reporter for The Record was present.

"From my perspective, as the attorney for the city, I would take every hardball position I could in moving forward with this," said Sarris.

Sarris also noted that he planned to meet with Sam Judge Thursday to further discuss the matter.

Besides the elevator, city workers have nearly completed interior rennovations to the building and the offices of various departments could be moved to their new home within the next two weeks.