Power has been restored to residents of a Portland high-rise apartment building after the electrical system failed late last month.
Franklin Tower restored full power to residents living on floors seven through 16 on Thursday, NewsCenter Maine reported. The residents of those floors had been receiving a low supply of electricity for the past couple of weeks, which was enough to keep medical devices and refrigerators on, but was not powerful enough to allow air conditioners or stoves to run.
The electrical system at Franklin Towers failed on Aug. 26. Power was quickly restored to the first six floors, but only partially to floors seven through 16. A crucial part that was needed to fully restore power had to be shipped into the state from New Mexico.
That came as temperatures rose again in late August, leaving residents stricken with heat but unable to use fans or air conditioners to cool off.
The electrical system failure served to highlight other longstanding issues in the apartment building, including elevator functionality, bugs, leaks and dirty hallways, the Press Herald reported.
The Portland Housing Authority, which owns Franklin Towers, is planning a $35 million renovation, though it’s unclear when that will begin.
