Our Work Across New York City.

47-Unit Pre-War Co-op
Park Slope, Brooklyn

A 1926-built co-op with three entry points, a patchwork of aging systems, and a board skeptical of tech. Here's how we turned it into a unanimous success story.

The Situation

The Maple Court Co-op at 247 8th Avenue in Park Slope was a classic pre-war building with a security problem. Three different entry points — main lobby, garden-level gate, and a rear service entrance — each had different, aging systems. The main intercom hadn't received a firmware update in over a decade. The super spent an estimated 14 hours per month managing physical fob replacements, lockouts, and guest access requests.

The board had been discussing a system upgrade for two years but couldn't get a clear proposal that addressed the cost concerns of long-time shareholders on fixed incomes. Previous vendors had submitted proposals that were either too expensive or lacked the per-unit ROI detail the board needed to build consensus.

Our Approach

We started with a 90-minute building walkthrough with the super and building manager, documenting every entry point, existing wiring run, and conduit access. We discovered that approximately 70% of the existing conduit could be reused — a finding that allowed us to reduce the installation estimate by $8,400 compared to a full-rewire scenario.

Our proposal to the board included a per-shareholder cost breakdown, a 5-year ROI analysis projecting $47,000 in net savings, a phased installation plan, and a shareholder communication package. We attended the board meeting and answered technical questions directly. The vote passed 94% in favor — one of the highest approvals the managing agent had seen in 20 years of co-op management.

The Installation

We staged the six-week installation to minimize disruption. Each entry point was upgraded in sequence, maintaining full building access at all times. Common-area work was done during building hours with same-day restoration. No access to individual apartments was required at any point.

The system installed: 3× UniFi G3 Intercom at entry points, 3× UA-Pro reader/controllers, 4× UniFi Access Hub, 12× G4 Dome cameras covering common areas, hallways, and the rear courtyard, 1× UniFi NVR (30-day local retention), and a G4 Pro at the package room. All hardware is PoE-powered and managed through the building's existing network infrastructure.

Results After 12 Months