0 item(s)
View cart
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Residential Access Control Case Study
Managing 40,000 Tenant Keys Across an Entire Community.
Parkchester South Condominium turned to IMRON to replace an aging access-control system and create a more practical way to manage residential credentials across a large multi-building community.
The Challenge
Residential Access Control Is Different.
Parkchester South Condominium in the Bronx needed to modernize an aging access-control system while dealing with a scale that looks more like a small city than a typical residential property.
The complex consisted of 116 eight- and twelve-story buildings, 8,226 units, and approximately 40,000 residents. It also maintained its own Public Safety Department staffed by New York City Special Patrol Officers.
One of the largest operational challenges was gaining control over roughly 40,000 tenant keys and replacing a system that was not designed around the realities of residential turnover, apartment-level tracking, and large-scale community management.
116
Eight- and twelve-story residential buildings
8,226
Residential units in Parkchester South
40,000
Residents in the condominium community
40,000
Tenant keys that had to be brought under better control
“IMRON's access control system was the right access key solution for our condominium complex. One of the major advantages that IMRON's system had over its competitors was the UnityIS® software's ability to handle residential apartments.
Why IMRON
Track the Apartment—not Just the Person.
Traditional employee access-control systems typically organize credentials around individual employees. Parkchester needed something different because residential keys are inherently tied to apartments, addresses, and occupancy changes.
When a resident moves out and another moves in, management still needs a complete view of every credential associated with that apartment—including lost or stolen keys and historical key activity.
IMRON adapted the software to Parkchester's operational model, giving the complex a workflow that made sense for residential property management rather than forcing an employee-centric model onto the community.
01 / ADDRESS
Filter by Building & Apartment
Credentials could be organized around the residential unit itself instead of relying only on a person's record.
02 / OCCUPANCY
Manage Move-Ins & Move-Outs
When residency changed, management could maintain continuity of key history for the apartment.
03 / HISTORY
Track Lost, Stolen & Used Keys
The system maintained a history trail that helped improve accountability across a very large credential population.
Connected Across the Property
One Access-Control Network Across 116 Buildings.
IMRON controllers and UnityIS® software operated over Parkchester's fiber-optic local area network connecting all 116 buildings.
Credential additions and deletions could be made centrally and sent to the appropriate building controller in less than one minute, giving management a much faster way to keep access current across the property.
The software also gave operators visibility into door conditions and access events rather than treating the buildings as isolated systems.
CENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT
Changes in Minutes Instead of Manual Key Administration.
New keys, revoked keys, and access changes could be distributed electronically across the property rather than relying on physical rekeying and disconnected recordkeeping for every building.
Operational Visibility
Access Events Became Actionable Information.
DOOR STATUS
Doors Held Open
Operators could identify doors that remained open longer than expected and investigate conditions affecting building security.
ACCESS CONTROL
Unauthorized Key Attempts
The system could surface attempts to use credentials where access was not authorized.
SYSTEM HEALTH
Door Problems
Individual door issues could be identified from the centralized software rather than relying exclusively on resident reports or manual inspection.
Built for the Community
More Than a Collection of Apartment Buildings.
The broader Parkchester community included more than 160 multi-story buildings, roughly 12,000 apartments, and a mix of commercial enterprises including major retailers, theaters, restaurants, and specialty shops.
Parkchester North Condominiums and Parkchester South Condominium operated as separate not-for-profit condominium associations while cooperating for the benefit of the larger community. The complex also maintained public parks, recreational services, and community events.
That scale made centralized access-control administration more than a convenience—it became an important part of running a highly active residential environment.
“IMRON was willing to modify the software for our specific usage and environment without any additional cost. Installation assistance and ongoing support has exceeded our expectations.
Legacy Case Study
A Longstanding Example of Open, Adaptable Access Control.
This article originally appeared in 2010 and references IMRON's UnityIS® platform, the predecessor to today's UnityIS® platform. The significance of the Parkchester project remains the same: large organizations often need security software that can adapt to their operational model rather than forcing them into a rigid, one-size-fits-all workflow.
UNITYIS® FOR MULTI-BUILDING PROPERTIES
Centralize Access Across Buildings, Residents, and Credentials.
UnityIS® carries forward IMRON's open and adaptable approach to access control for residential communities, campuses, commercial properties, and other complex multi-building environments.
