You cannot put any building services in an elevator shaft unless it is for the elevators. This is not much at all. Smoke detector, pit light and pit receptacle. I have done more than 1 service call to remove electrical installations that used the elevator shaft as a riser ie only emt and 3 wires were in the pipe.
Now for the mechanical room you need permission from the elevator inspector to put anything more than the electrical for the elevator. Even a jb can be refused if it is not associated with the operation of the elevator. So a disconnect for the car and a disconnect for the car light. a light and switch for the room and a plug for the elevator service guys. Fire alarm device. All other equipment is by the elevator company.
So a panel? No way. even the disco for the elevator has to have a pilot switch that operates from the opening of the main disconnect and a panel won't work for that either.
