Challenge 

Naval Square Condominiums is a gated community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recognized by the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia for historic preservation. The property, dating back to the early 1800s, once served as the original site of the U.S. Naval Home, a hospital and retirement home for military service personnel. The conversion to condominiums began in 2002, with the entire site completed eight years later. A slice of suburbia nestled in the city, the community features both multi-family buildings and individual town homes. 

At Naval Square, access control is critical to manage the residents, cars and visitors coming and going from the premises. FirstService Residential, the current property management company, inherited an aging access control system that was first installed in 2002. “It was challenging and time-consuming for us to update and maintain the system,” notes Andrew Sytnik, Community Manager, FirstService Residential. “Over the long term, we knew it would be more cost-efficient to replace the system with the latest technology.”

Solution 

Naval Square approached systems integrator 215Secure, LLC to recommend a replacement access control solution. “Naval Square was attracted to LenelS2’s web-based, easy-to-use product as well as the potential to really modernize the installation with mobile-ready readers,” says Dave Pearson, President and CEO, 215Secure. 

215Secure determined that a combination of a LenelS2 NetBox Extreme access control system and 14 distributed LenelS2 Network Nodes would be the optimal fit for the property’s needs across two community entrances as well as six multi-family buildings.

As residents approach entrances in their cars, they automatically gain access to the property through Nedap long range vehicle identification, integrated with the NetBox access control system. Town home residents can also access their garages using the technology, which replaces a clicker-based system that was difficult to provision. 

HID mobile-ready readers in the multi-tenant buildings provide residents with the convenience of using their phones as mobile credentials. And with fewer physical credentials in use, residents are less likely to share credentials with non-provisioned people, increasing overall security and undercutting short-term rentals, which are not permitted. “To incentivize mobile usage, we offer the mobile credential for free, whereas we charge residents for the traditional fob,” explains Sytnik. 

The community entrances and multi-tenant buildings also feature iDor Mobile, a touch-screen-based visitor entry system that integrates with the NetBox system. Using a mobile app, residents are able to receive a video call from visitors at gates or doors and grant them access. 

Results 

Naval Square Condominiums now has a reliable, easy-to-manage access control system that enhances security and convenience for residents. The system also has a lot of room to expand capabilities. Sytnik looks forward to adding LenelS2 NetVR™ video management to the picture as well as using the LenelS2 Mobile Security Professional® app to manage the system even when inclement weather keeps him at home.

“With NetBox access control in place, we look forward to taking advantage of other LenelS2 ecosystem products to better serve our residents, such as adding video at critical entry points,” observes Sytnik.