I noticed you say that PS isn't ready for a lift. I'm not sure about that. PlaneShift's movement code already has functionality built in for moving platforms (vertical and horizontal). And there are some moving map parts already (see sewers mill/wheel thingy). To get it all work perfectly might require some hacking, especially if you're planning on making the lift player-controlled. I think it's 80% possible.
However, if you want a lift for this city, you might want to differ it for later addition.