HIGH ENERGY Interior upgrades to the one-, two-, and three-bedroom units were surprisingly minimal. But there was one notable exception. “We figured, if we’re going to do it, why not do it with energy efficiency in mind?” Holloway recalls.
Why not, indeed. So GMH installed 2,291 energy-efficient fluorescent lamps and rewired more than 6,000 Energy Star hardwired fixtures for indoor lighting and outdoor common areas like stairwells, hallways, laundry rooms, and garages at Bella Vista. The company also redid all the roofs using heat-reflective materials to conserve energy, and it is replacing all windows and sliding doors with more energy-efficient versions.
COMPARISON Once completed, the upgrades should save the property $120,000 in electric and $6,000 in gas bills each year, more than half of which will benefit residents, who are each expected to save $68 annually on their utilities as a result. For its strides in energy conservation, GMH received a whopping rebate of $327,428 from PG&E, the energy company’s largest to date.
Jill Waldbieser is a freelance writer in Horsham, Pa.
PROPERTY: Bella Vista at Hilltop
LOCATION: San Pablo, Calif.
COST OF RENOVATION: $8 million
SCOPE OF PROJECT: Update one of the largest individual housing complexes in the nine-county Bay area.
ACTION ITEMS
Stay in touch with your residents. The bottom line, says Holloway, is communicating with residents and keeping them involved in what’s going on. Doing so allowed the company to hold occupancy in the high 80s even during the most major parts of the renovation. Sometimes a property’s reputation can be as much of an obstacle as its physical condition. GMH created a new image with a new name that it publicized through signage. You don’t always have to be No. 1 to be a success. GMH distinguished Bella Vista by targeting a value niche in the market that its competitors had ignored. “We’re not trying to be that Class A new product,” says Holloway. “We’re the A minus.”
