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Category: Local

  • Concierge Urged Building 400, 500 Residents to Return while Safety Inspections Remained Unfinalized

    Concierge Urged Building 400, 500 Residents to Return while Safety Inspections Remained Unfinalized

    Throughout the day on February 10, the management of Concierge Apartments provided confusing messages to residents of buildings 400 and 500 on when they should return home. To be deemed safe, the buildings had to be approved by both the Rocky Hill Fire Marshall and the Building Inspector. The management began issuing messages to return after receiving clearance from the Building Inspector but before Fire Marshall had finished the inspection.

    The Rocky Hill Building Inspector cleared the building in the morning.

    At 11:30am, Concierge notified residents that “repairs in Buildings 400 and 500 have been completed and the buildings have passed inspection for return”.

    Dear Residents of Buildings 400 and 500,

    We want to sincerely thank each of you for your incredible patience, understanding, and kindness throughout this challenging time.

    We’re happy to share that repairs in Buildings 400 and 500 have been completed and the buildings have passed inspection for return. We know how disruptive and stressful it can be to be away from home, and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience this situation caused.

    We deeply appreciate the grace you’ve shown while we worked through this process. As a small gesture of appreciation, ownership will be providing a credit to residents accounts, along with other accommodations that we will share once more information is available. Additional details regarding this credit will be communicated shortly.

    We are so grateful for your cooperation and support, and we are truly happy to welcome you all back home.

    If you are currently staying in a hotel arranged through management, please plan to check out as you retum to your apartment.

    If you need any assistance during your transition back or have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the leasing office.

    With heartfelt thanks.
    Concierge Rocky Hill

    At 1:05pm, residents of the apartments were told that they could return after 3:00pm, and to plan to check out of their hotels as they returned.

    Dear Residents,

    We know everyone is eager to return home. Please note that entry into the building will not be available until after 3:00 PM today.

    If you are currently staying in a hotel arranged through management, please plan to check out as you return to your apartment.

    Thank you so much for your patience and understanding – we truly appreciate it and look forward to welcoming you back.

    At 2:05pm, they notified residents that “notices had been removed” from from the buildings.

    Dear Residents,

    All notices have been removed from the buildings 400 and 500.

    If you’re currently staying in a hotel arranged through management, please plan to check out as you return to your apartment.

    Thank you for your patience, and welcome home.

    At this time, the Fire Marshall had not cleared the building for occupation. The Fire Marshal cleared around 3:00pm.

    At 3:51pm: Concierge again told people that they could return.

    Dear Residents of Building D and E,

    First, we want to apologize for the confusion earlier today. We are trying our best to get everyone home as soon as possible and we acted too quickly. While we had passed our fire inspection when we sent out the earlier email, we had not yet passed all inspections from all building departments. We are pleased to be able to assure you that all inspections have now passed and we have confirmed that all residents in D and E (also known as buildings 400 and 500) are welcome to return home now and should make arrangements to do so.

    We know that you all have many questions and we are doing our best to answer them. We also know that our responsiveness has not fully met your expectations. Moving forward, if you have questions your first resource should be our onsite management team. They can be reached via phone at 860-563-5300 or via email at conciergerockyhilloffice@twocoastliving.com
    However, if you have something urgent and are not getting a timely enough response, we have setup two alternative hotlines.

    You can reach our remote support staff via phone at 860-955-3465 or via email at conciergehotline@twocoastliving.com

    These hotlines will be monitored Monday to Friday from 10:30am Eastern until 9pm Eastern daily.

    We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and are happy and relieved that you can now return home. Please know that we plan to address all concerns, but our first priority is getting everyone home as soon as possible. Once all of our residents are home, we will be in touch with next steps.

    Sincerely,

    Concierge Rocky Hill Management

    Concierge provided conflicting messages to residents about the timeline for their return. One resident shared privately that Concierge communicated to them they could remain in their hotel that evening. The resident said the hotel was told by Concierge that Concierge would not pay for additional nights, and the resident had to vacate.

    I spoke with concierge shortly after 530 and asked if residents could check out of their hotels tomorrow. I was told absolutely. Our keys to our rooms were voided and I asked for new ones. I was then told concierge called them and said all guests HAD to be out by 9 pm and they would not pay past then.

    Despite the confusion, many residents returned to buildings 400 and 500 that evening.

  • Rocky Hill Issues Updates on Concierge Commitments, Timeline, Town Assistance, Stop Work Order

    Rocky Hill Issues Updates on Concierge Commitments, Timeline, Town Assistance, Stop Work Order

    On the morning of Saturday February 10, Mayor of Rocky Hill Allan Smith issued the following update on Facebook regarding the status of Concierge.

    Over the past 24-48 hours, there have been several significant developments related to the situation at Concierge Apartments. I want to provide residents with a clear timeline of events and confirm where things currently stand.

    Timeline and Current Status

    At the end of last week, officials from the Town of Rocky Hill determined that all Concierge buildings were unsafe for overnight occupancy. Buildings D and E (400 and
    500) did not have functioning fire suppression systems, and Buildings A, B, and C (100, 200, and 300) were in various stages of repair, with many units lacking reliable hot or running water. Given the sub-freezing temperatures that were forecast, the Town determined it was not safe for residents to remain overnight in these buildings.

    During this same timeframe, the Central Connecticut Health District issued a Notice of Violation to Concierge Apartments. The Office of the Attorney General also communicated expectations to the property owner, and JRK Property Holdings, the parent company, responded through legal counsel.

    On Friday, Congressman John Larson requested that HUD investigate the property owner’s actions.

    Yesterday, the Attorney General announced that his office has opened an investigation into Concierge Apartments regarding actions leading up to this situation.

    Property Owner Commitments

    As of Monday, the property owner submitted a letter to the Attorney General outlining actions they state they are taking both immediately and moving forward. According to that correspondence, the owner has committed to:

    Immediate Support for Residents

    • Paying for alternative lodging expenses for displaced residents until they can return to their homes.
    • Assisting residents with relocation and housing arrangements through on-site management and additional corporate staff.
    • Maintaining daily communication with residents regarding repair status and relocation updates.
    • Providing one month of rent credit to all residents
    • Providing either an additional one-month rent credit or allowing lease termination without penalty for residents who lost hot or cold water.
    • Reimbursing residents for out-of-pocket expenses related to displacement, including lost food, medications, childcare costs, and similar expenses, without requiring residents to file claims through renter’s insurance.

    Ongoing Repair and Operational Efforts

    • Deployment of local and out-of-state plumbing and construction crews.
    • Continued daily repair activity, including multiple work shifts to complete plumbing and sprinkler repairs.
    • Ongoing demolition, pipe replacement, insulation, and related work until units are habitable.
    • Continued communication with residents and coordination with Town and State officials.
      The property owner has indicated that sprinkler repairs in Buildings D and E are nearing completion and are expected to be tested shortly, which would allow residents in those buildings to return once approved. Work in Buildings A, B, and C continues, with the owner stating they hope residents may be able to return by the end of the week, subject to repair progress and inspection.

    Department of Labor Activity

    Also on Monday, the Connecticut Department of Labor conducted a visit to the property and identified multiple contractor violations related to workers’ compensation and other labor requirements. Reports are that there were no electricians or plumbers located on-site, and all contractors were from out-of-state. A work stoppage was ordered at that time. The property owner has indicated they are working to address these issues so repair work can resume.

    School Transportation and Student Support
    Questions have also been raised regarding school transportation and student attendance. Families are currently staying in multiple locations both within and outside town. Parents are encouraged to notify their child’s school of any temporary address changes so that the Board of Education can continue to adjust transportation and support services as needed.

    Town Position and Next Steps

    While the continued cold weather has created additional challenges, the Town’s position has remained consistent from the beginning: the health, safety, and well-being of our residents is our top priority. Our goal is to see residents safely returned to their homes as quickly as possible, while ensuring that repairs are completed properly and that steps are taken to prevent similar disruptions in the future. We appreciate the level of attention that this issue has received from multiple agencies. As many residents have witnessed, Town staff has worked tirelessly for weeks now. They have truly showed us that we have the best people working in our town. Our community members have also stepped up in a huge way to support those affected. Local businesses, and even total strangers have donated time and resources to improve this experience for displaced neighbors.

    Assistance and Resources

    Residents with questions regarding their individual housing arrangements or reimbursement should continue to contact Concierge management directly using the phone numbers and email addresses they have provided, or by visiting the on-site office.

    or additional assistance, residents may contact Rocky Hill Human, Youth and Seni ervices for support and connection to available resource

    https://www.rockyhillct.gov/209/Human-Youth-and-Senior-Services