Violations Update
When Vantage buildings were acquired, the prior owners had racked up a total of 10,816 building department violations. As of this month we’ve resolved 10,021 of those pre-existing violations — which is 93%.
Archive for the ‘General Information’ Category
Medical Testing Facility Opens New Location
Vantage is pleased to announce 3421 Broadway in Washington Heights will soon be home to a LabCorp testing facility. LabCorp is a national medical testing firm that has been at the forefront of new diagnostic tests — particularly in the areas of disease prevention, oncology and genetics.
This new facility will be affiliated with local doctors and hospitals, and will provide a convenient location for medical testing. We hope this new facility will also be a convenience for Vantage residents.
Local Paper Covers Union Deal
By Rey Camacho
Usually we don’t post specific newspaper articles to the blog, as they are accessible online. But because the local editions of the Queens Tribune aren’t published to its website, we’re posting a link to the recent article about Vantage’s agreement covering superintendents & porters with Local 808 in Queens.
Vantage Celebrates Union Agreement
Vantage employees and community leaders gathered last night at Cafe Rubio in Queens to celebrate a landmark union agreement with Local 808 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs Warehouseman and Helpers of America.
“This second union agreement reiterates our commitment to the partnership we hold with all the members of the Vantage team who work hard to uphold our mission to provide high-quality service to Vantage’s residents,” said Neil Rubler, CEO of Vantage Residential.
We’ve also been very pleased with the positive feedback we’ve heard from elected officials about the union agreements: “Across this city hardworking men and women are fighting for fair treatment, and this agreement demonstrates how landlords and their employees can partner together effectively,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
“After months of negotiation and good faith effort to reach an understanding I’m very pleased to see how Vantage and Local 808 were able to achieve this significant unionization agreement,” said City Council Member Julissa Ferreras.
“I am pleased to know that Vantage is recognizing its employees’ desires to have a unionized workforce. It is a step in the right direction. I hope to work with Vantage in the future to improve its tenants’ lives, said City Council Member Daniel Dromm.
“Everyone is a winner in this agreement – Vantage, Local 808 and the thousands of residents who rely on their buildings’ workers every day,” said City Council Member Karen Koslowitz.
Summer at Fox Run
By Susan Brown
Vantage is pleased to announce that the new tennis courts at the Fox Run complex are open in time for summer. We hope our residents are enjoying themselves on the courts and in the pool, which opened Memorial Day weekend.
Upgrades & Renovations to Savoy Park Parking Lot
By Chris Isles
Vantage is currently implementing a project to repair the parking lots, perimeter and playground fences, landscaping, and new site lighting at the Savoy Park complex. Upgrades and renovations include:
- Repairs have been made to the curbs and walkways within the lots, and some of the surfaces were replaced with new asphalt
- All parking lots will be re-striped
- The perimeter fence was repaired and repainted
- The parking lot gates will be replaced with new sliding steel gates that enhance security and keep illegal parkers out. Residents will have a remote control that opens the gate to the lot they are assigned
- The old chain link fence around the lots was replaced largely with plantings that are dense enough to impede pedestrian travel, and will look aesthetically pleasing
- The old chain link fences around the playgrounds were removed and replaced with attractive steel fences
- Fifty-four new light poles were installed around the site which enhances safety and security when its dark.
- Newly landscaped ares with shrubs, bulbs and seasonal plantings were installed at various areas throughout the site.
This project in its entirety will be completed soon. We hope you enjoy these upgrades and renovations to the Savoy complex.
Elevator Upgrades in Vantage Buildings
By Chris Isles
Vantage is committed to making sure our buildings receive proper upgrades and renovations. We are pleased to report that 18 elevators across 14 properties have received complete mechanical and electronic upgrades using state-of-the-art equipment.
These upgrades have improved the reliability, speed and comfort for residents – previous elevators had swing doors that opened manually. Many of the new elevators have modern automatic sliding doors that make it much easier for residents, visitors and building staff to enter and exit, especially when carrying bags, packages, children, etc. In addition, the elevators have been redesigned to be more aesthetically pleasing, easier to clean and more vandal resistant.
New High Performance Rain Resistant Roofs Installed
By Chris Isles
In the last year, we have overseen the installation of six state-of-the-art white roofs on Vantage buildings.
These high performance roofs are resistant to rain damage and are very durable – they last 20 years. The polyurethane material creates a completely seamless protective surface.
Here is how the roofs benefit both the residents and the city:
- For the residents, the roofs provide excellent waterproofing and also reduce the upper floors’ heat loads so residents apartments are cooler. This saves money on electric bills by reducing the need for turning on air conditioning.
- For the city, the roofs reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere unlike dark roofs which act as “heat islands” by absorbing the sun’s heat. Heat islands are environmental hazards – they lead to increased temperatures within cities and contribute to worsened air quality. During the middle of the day, the surfaces appear to be about 20°F cooler than the dark roofs they replaced, a great improvement.
We continue to invest heavily in renovating and improving our buildings. These roof improvements are the latest example of our commitment to implementing the most modern and environmentally friendly building materials.
New Commercial Tenants in Vantage Building
The current issue of the Manhattan Times discusses how Vantage retail tenants have helped improve the neighborhood — specifically describing the grocery store Food Palace and restaurant Locksmith Wine and Burger Bar as two excellent tenants.
In addition, Vantage is pleased to announce two new commercial tenants at 3851 Broadway (600 West 161st Street).
SMITH & SMITH: Michael F Smith, Esq. is our new tenant at 600 West 161st Street. Mr. Smith is an attorney in solo practice. He has practiced law in the Washington Heights area for over 20 years with his previous office only a few blocks away at 4124 Broadway. He has numerous clients in the area, which was a criteria for Mr. Smith when looking for a new office, as this new location will provide continuity for his existing customers.
BROADWAY T-SPOT: Mr. Omaru Jalloh is excited to be opening his third hat and t-shirt shop in this location. He has been in business for over ten years, with two successful stores in the Bronx. Mr. Jalloh has a great spirit and a good sense of humor. He is currently under construction, but is looking forward to BROADWAY T-SPOT opening soon. When asked why he picked the site in Washington Heights he merely said, “I see a real demand for my product.”
New Article About Vantage in Queens Chronicle
By Rey Camacho
The most recent issue of the Queens Chronicle includes a close look at Vantage and our commitment to high-quality customer service. The comprehensive article, “Vantage: A Better Firm Than You May Have Heard,” written by editor-in-chief Peter C. Mastrosimone, discusses the results of interviews with tenants from several Vantage apartment buildings. The article also describes Vantage’s financial investment in renovations and improvements.
While the most serious issue the Queens Chronicle identified was a recurring broken closet door, we also realize more serious issues in apartments do arise. That’s why Vantage has instituted an innovative 24/hour customer service hotline and now has evening and weekend walk-in hours at our offices.
Please don’t hesitate to call the hotline, 1-800-867-5309 or stop by and visit us with any concerns. In the meantime, we hope you will have a chance to read this most recent article about Vantage.
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20427874&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=8
