Overcoming Common Challenges in Multi-Family Properties with CellGate Access Control Solutions: A Case Study of Vanguard Crossing Apartments, St. Louis, MO.

As multi-family properties grow in size and complexity, property managers face a variety of challenges.  Particularly when it comes to security and access control. This was the case for the Vanguard Crossing Apartments, a large multi-family property located in St. Louis, MO.  They needed to upgrade their legacy access control system, and it presented several pain points that are common across the industry. In this case study, we explore the challenges Vanguard Crossing faced.  We also see how CellGate’s solutions overcame them—challenges that properties everywhere can relate to.

View from above, over the Vanguard Crossing Apartments in St. Louis, MO

Property Layout and Existing Technology

There were two resident 4-story buildings at Vanguard Crossing – one “b”-shaped (Building 1) and the other “L”-shaped (Building 2).  They also had a connected four-story parking garage in between them. Three of the four levels of the parking garage are covered.  All levels of the garage have secured entrances to the residential buildings on each floor.

Residents park on the same floor of the parking garage that their apartment is located on.  They then walk directly from the parking garage floor to the floor of their apartment.

A shared indoor hallway in each of the two resident buildings leads to residents’ front door(s).
The access control system originally in use at Vanguard Crossing was a self-contained keypad with strike lock.  It was utilized at:

• 8 ground level building entrances
• 2 gates at the community fenced pool
• 12 resident building entrances from the parking garage

None of the entrances were connected to a central access control system.  Thus there was no assignment of unique credentials per resident and/or for centralized monitoring. This also meant that one primary code was utilized for all residents.  And that code was, unfortunately, regularly shared with non-residents. In addition, because each entry was not wired to a centralized access control box, property management had no historical records/logs of activity at each entrance, and/or by whom.

Upgrading the Current Access Control System Presented These Challenges:

1. The Parking Garage Construction

   

   View of four connecting “bridges” from the Vanguard Crossing Apartments’ resident parking garage to one group of apartments

   

   A view of a different entrance from the parking garage to the resident’s apartments in the Vanguard Crossing Apartments.

   Securing the large parking garage was a significant challenge for Vanguard Crossing. Their legacy system lacked visibility and control.  It was difficult to monitor who entered and exited the apartments through the garage. Unauthorized access had become a growing concern among residents. Implementing a wired solution was not seriously considered because it would require breaking into the garage’s concrete walls. Most wireless alternatives were also not considered because they required line of sight in order to work. This was not possible due to the numerous garage-to-apartment-building entry points.

   CellGate Solution: Vanguard Crossing implemented CellGate’s OmniPoint wireless access control system. One key factor in its selection was that it was wireless and it used LoRa technology.  LoRa technology does not require line of site in order to work. It has outstanding building penetration and is ideal for difficult-to-penetrate locations like the Vanguard Crossing’s garage.  It is also ideal for securing outdoor areas where wiring is not possible. OmniPoint utilizes CellGate’s TrueCloud Connect platform to assign unique credentials for all users and to track access attempts. Thus, the property management team now monitors exactly who accessed specific entry points and parking areas, and when. With enhanced visibility and control of entry point usage, unauthorized access incidents dropped significantly.

2. Limited Visibility with Legacy Systems

   The property’s previous access control system provided limited data on who was entering and exiting the buildings.  This made solving complaints or determining culprits of misdeeds difficult. The management team lacked the tools needed to effectively monitor and track access.

   CellGate Solution: By upgrading to CellGate’s OmniPoint system, managed by TrueCloud Connect, Vanguard Crossing gained full control and visibility over access points across the property. The system’s cloud-based platform provides real-time monitoring.  It also stores detailed audit trails accessible from any browser, anywhere. It also has the option to send notifications to designated personnel when doors are left open, or when access attempts are made outside of the time and day windows granted. This gave the property management team the visibility they needed to ensure that only authorized users were accessing secure areas. TrueCloud Connect’s easy-to-use interface also came with varied permission levels of access, so property managers have only the access level they need to do their specific job(s). TrueCloud Connect also works across multiple properties from a single login, making it an ideal option for the apartment’s property management company to potentially implement on other properties. The future scalability and ability to access TrueCloud Connect from anywhere made the OmniPoint implementation appealing for the property.

3. Minimizing Resident Disruption

   Upgrading access control systems often leads to disruptive construction work and inconveniences for residents. Vanguard Crossing Apartments wanted to avoid a long, disruptive installation process that would negatively impact residents’ daily lives.  Activities like trenching, running wires through hallways and via ceiling tiles and rekeying doors was not ideal.

   CellGate Solution: Vanguard Crossing Apartments opted for CellGate’s OmniPoint wireless access control solution.  This meant the property upgraded without the need for extensive construction or rekeying. OmniPoint uses cellular LTE to communicate to OmniPoint’s TrueCloud Connect cloud-based platform and locally it communicates wirelessly via LoRa technology.  This meant no long distance data wires were required. The only wiring needed was for power to the OmniPoint EPMs (entry point modules) at each property entry point, and local wires to the card reader and lock. Existing resident credentials (fobs) did not need to be replaced. They were simply reprogrammed to work with the new OmniPoint system. Consequently the system was installed with minimal disruption to residents.  All of this was due to its wireless technology and seamless integration with existing fobs, doors and infrastructure. This approach kept residents happy and the project on track.

4. Lack of Internet Connectivity In All Property Areas

   Vanguard Crossing considered implementing several other internet-centric cloud-based access control systems.  They decided against those options because it required reliable internet connectivity across all property buildings and areas.  They were concerned about the physical requirements and financial cost of providing stable internet across such a vast property.  In their case, this included multiple buildings that were logistically widespread, a multi-level concrete garage & outdoor areas.

   CellGate Solution: The OmniPoint system used by the Vanguard Crossing Apartments operates on either cellular or ethernet based connectivity.  The option chosen depends on the property’s needs and engineering or logistics factors. This provides flexibility for properties’ varying applications and challenges. In Vanguard Crossing’s case, they did not have strong internet bandwidth already in all parts of the property.  Thus they chose to use a cellular OmniPoint solution.

5. Cost-Prohibitive Access Control for Multiple Buildings

   A final challenges Vanguard Crossing Apartments faced was the lack of a visitor management system.  This was sorely needed at key entry points to the property. Traditional wired visitor management solutions required extensive wiring and trenching.  This made them expensive to install and disruptive to implement while the property was already at near capacity with residents.  OmniPoint already solved the biggest security challenges the property had.  Thus it made sense to consider a live streaming video visitor management system that integrated with OmniPoint. Particularly one that is also managed by the same administrative platform as OmniPoint was, TrueCloud Connect.

   CellGate Solution: Vanguard Crossing chose to install two of CellGate’s cellular LTE Watchman WXL systems for their visitor management needs. Because they chose a cellular option, that eliminated the potential need for costly and disruptive trenching for a hard-wired ethernet installation. The Watchman WXL integrated seamlessly with the OmniPoint solution, & utilized TrueCloud Connect for administration. The WXL also worked with the existing Wiegand-based credentials issued to residents, after they were reprogrammed. The combined OmniPoint/Watchman WXL wireless solution helped Vanguard Crossing save significantly on installation costs while also maximizing the use of credentials that were already in use. Both were financial and logistical victories for the property.

Conclusion

The Vanguard Crossing Apartments in St. Louis, MO showcased how multi-family properties overcome common access control challenges, if they implement the right technologies. With CellGate’s Watchman WXL and OmniPoint systems, Vanguard Crossing improved security, increased visibility of activity on its property, and minimized resident disruption—all while saving significantly on installation costs.

The property saw significant cost savings through these updates.  However the real value lies in the increased security, visibility, and convenience for both residents and property managers on an ongoing basis. For multi-family properties facing similar challenges, CellGate provides scalable, cost-effective solutions that make access control simpler, more efficient, and more secure.