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Businesses Forced To Close As Lift Remains In Parking Garage

DENVER (CBS4) - Three days later, the efforts continue to remove a lift that fell through a Cherry Creek parking structure. The process has kept a number of people away from their parked cars, and on Monday, several offices inside the building closed for the day.

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Emergency Dental Denver is one of the offices that chose to close. Employees told CBS4 there was no air conditioning, and a number of fans could only do so much to keep the office cool.

"It's pretty unbearable conditions here," said Justin Ybarra, an extern dental assistant.

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Employees also explained one other complication after the lift collapsed through the building's accompanying parking garage. According to the group, there was little air pressure for their dental tools.

"Well if we don't have power to our tools, it affects us a lot because we won't be treating people, but if we can at least get those things running, pretty much we can go back to normal," said Cassie Wiggington.

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As workers assessed the situation again Monday, a number of parked cars remained on both floors of the parking structure. The Subaru closest to the lift is Ybarra's, who was working Saturday afternoon.

"I went out and looked, and had seen my car was just feet away from the sinkhole," he said.

Since then, Ybarra has been hitching rides with friends and coworkers. He is not sure when he will be able to move his car.

"That's all I can do," he said. "I keep telling myself it could've been worse or could be worse, but never take your car for granted."

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On Sunday, Denver's Office of Emergency Management turned the removal process over to the building owner.

While not available by phone Monday, he told CBS4 over the weekend that, initially, it appears the lift was far in excess of the capacity of the parking slab.

Removal was scheduled for Monday, according to the owner. As of the early evening, the lift was still in place.

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