7-1-08
Avalon Tenants Not Happy.
In
a recent published story Avalon Bay stated that nearly all
buildings on Hathorne Hill have been leased and they seem
to have no issue filling the little vacancies they have
left. However, not everyone is happy.
I recently came across a website that has some Avalon Danvers
tenants complaining about their living situation at 1101
Kirkbride Drive. I have to admit I got great satisfaction
when reading these. If you have a
bad ( past or present ) living situation at Avalon Danvers
and you want to share your story with the public, feel free
to email me and I’ll post it. Please specify if you
wish to remain anonymous in your email.
Here are some of the stories
posted. Enjoy.
A
Dream Turned Nightmare From: PatsFan25 2/14/2008
When I first looked at Avalon
Danvers I fell in love with the property. The old hospital's
architecture is breathtaking and the surrounding area is
beautiful. And at the time the management seemed so friendly
and accommodating. Boy did things ever change once they
knew they had my money on a monthly basis. It seemed that
the lease not only guaranteed me a spot in this "dream
complex" of mine, it also gave management the go a
head to treat me like dirt.
The 10/15ish mile commute
that is supposed to be so accommodating, actually means
that you should be prepared to sit for more than an hour
on Rte 1, 93 or 95/128 trying to make it into the city.
And the "quiet complex" that the management so
graciously sold me on, has turned out to be exactly the
opposite. When the wind blows (which is pretty much all
the time because of the hill the complex is on) the windows
sound like they are going to fall right out of the seals
they are sitting in. When the people above me are walking
it sounds like they are running. You can hear every step.
Not only that, but if people next to you are going about
daily routines, my walls shake. Many times I have come home
and found my pictures to be crooked from the vibrations.
When it snows... plan for
an extra hour to dig your car out from the snow that gets
plowed right toward the cars, and not the grass on the other
side of the road. And don't plan on sleeping, because the
complex feels it is necessary to clear the sidewalks next
to the windows at 1:45AM.
Speaking of snow, one of
the other features that sold me on the unit was the in building
trash shoot and the convince of not having to leave the
building if it is snowing out. Too bad management failed
to mention it is OUT OF ORDER over 75% of the time I go
to use it.
Still considering moving
into this "gem"' Keep a keen eye on the properties
website before you sit down and lock yourself into a lease.
I've seen their free rent offer extended at least twice,
and now it's up to 2 1/2 months. Maybe that's because they
are STILL having trouble filling units. Understandable considering
this was an old state insane asylum. Google "Danvers
State Hospital" for more info.
I guess what I want to say,
is don't let the exterior fool you. Just because it looks
nice from the outside doesn't mean that you'll necessarily
will like what you find. I myself am counting down the days
until I can move out.
So
sick of this place...safety is an issue here! From: -Anonymous
3/2/2008
Upon moving in I was well
aware of the sights history and felt that made it more interesting.
However, one must do their homework by contacting the local
police department first asking for the local potentially
harmful neighbors that surround the grounds of this place
before making a decision to rent here. The winter clean
up crew are totally not respectful to the tenants. They
are out doing a great job of cleaning but also waking everyone
up at the wee hours of the morning. Try calling the leasing
office and complaining, nothing gets done. The noise in
this place is awful...I am in a townhouse type apartment
and you'd think it would be a bit peaceful, NOT! Neighbors
banging on walls, screaming at all hours of the night and
again the leasing office is good for nothing when it comes
to complaints. There were a rash of car breakins and the
leasing office was called a few times about the glass all
over the parking lot. The kids were due to arrive home and
were getting let off near the glass. It was finally done
after quite a few calls. The pool...what a joke that was
last summer. I can only imagine with more people how it
will be. Its so small and will in no way service all the
people here comfortably. So like the previous persons article
said once they have you sign that dotted line your a prisoner
to the Danvers State hospital at Avalon! The leasing office
could careless about us! Kid friendly they are not...if
your child is under 5 there is a cute tot lot and if over
16 they are allowed to do things alone but other then that
be prepaired to have your kid be bored. I rate this place
a -10 and would NEVER ever consider renting here again.
Nice apartment, TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT From: -Anonymous-2/7/2008
Pros: Nice, clean apartment
with great location.
Cons: Avalon management!!
I have only lived in one
other apartment complex in my life (managed by another company).
Wouldn't commonsense tell you that management should be
customer oriented and not worried about filling their over
priced apartments right'
Since day one there has
been nothing but issues with the management here... work
orders not being filled, corners cut in construction, and
of course the circus that is the management. I could write
a novel.
Instead of ranting on and
on, I'll leave you with this. If you want to take a chance
with this property go for it. We love our apartment when
this are the way they SHOULD be. But, if you do take the
chance and something goes wrong -- best of luck to you!
Disgusted.....
From: -Anonymous 1/18/2008
We
have been here since it opened and have since left the property,
thankfully. The leasing office is helpful when it comes
to getting things fixed however not very friendly or helpful
with any other issues. This place states its child friendly
I have to say its more tot friendly. There are about 80
kids here and only a place for kids that are under 4 to
play in or over 16. I have also heard that there are some
former state homes that are right down the street that still
exist and are very dangerous if they get out. One may want
to check with the local police department and obtain a list
of dangerous people that reside in the area. Again if I
were to do this again I would NOT live here especially if
you have children. Not to metion the noise factor is awful
the night time snow clean up crew is loud, you can hear
the toilets flush upstairs when your in your place not to
metion you can hear every step the people about you take!!!
We have two children and it was a total nightmare for all!!!!
4-11-08
After fire, Danvers State complex almost finished By
Ethan Forman Salem News
Almost
one year after a fire swept through the former Danvers State
property, the 433-unit Avalon Danvers apartment complex
atop Hathorne Hill is nearly complete.The fire, which burned
down three buildings and whose cause was never determined,
set construction back six to eight months. All the buildings
in the apartment complex are now scheduled to open June
1, with some ready for occupancy May 1. By the time an open
house is held in June, the developer expects it to be 80
percent to 90 percent occupied, said Scott Dale, vice president
of AvalonBay Communities.
Today,
the complex, which cost $80 million to build, sports apartments
with lofty ceilings, large windows and sweeping views of
the North Shore. Another 64 senior condominiums should take
shape over the next 18 months.In
a way, this is the second time Danvers State Hospital has
risen from the ground. The push to redevelop 77 acres of
the former Danvers State Hospital has meant the demolition
of most of the buildings of the former insane asylum, with
just one-third of the 1878 Kirkbride building remaining.
A
turret on the adjacent Kirkbride building, which caught
fire last year, has been replaced using a spare turret preserved
from a portion of the old building that had been torn down.
Developers had not been deterred by the history of the site,
an overcrowded mental hospital that became a mini city before
the state closed it in 1992. Today, it has drawn empty nesters
and families alike. Decades
ago, some said you would have been crazy to live there,
now some say you would be crazy not to.
The
centerpiece of the community is the 100,000-square-foot
portion of the red-brick Kirkbride building. It has an outdoor
swimming pool, a recreation room, a basketball court, a
fitness club and a Wi-Fi café. Inside, only one of
its 61 apartments is still available for rent. The building,
with its Gothic spires and cupolas, takes its name from
19th-century physician Thomas Story Kirkbride. While developers
tore down two-thirds of the Kirkbride, they reconstructed
the main tower over the front entrance that had been missing
for years.
Rents
in the Kirkbride building range from $1,300 to $1,700 for
a one-bedroom apartment to $1,575 to $2,400 for a two-bedroom
apartment. Some high-end units have cherry wood kitchen
cabinets and granite countertops.Dale
said the Kirkbride building, once the hospital's administration
building, now also serves as the administration building
for the complex. It's a place to gather and play basketball
or a game of pool.
Even
the modern buildings surrounding the Kirkbride building
take their visual cues from its Gothic architecture with
red brick trim and sharp gabled dormers. Building heights
on the perimeter of the development were kept low to preserve
a view of the remains of the Kirkbride building. "I
think the Kirkbride building is much more visible today
than it was 10 years ago," Dale said.
The
apartment complex is not the only project ongoing on the
hill. There are 64 condominiums, to be called Aria, being
developed by OHC Development, in which AvalonBay has a financial
stake. Susan Piracini, Aria's sales director, said it will
be another 18 months before the condominiums are built out.
Ten are already under contract. "It's
definitely a different product than a lot of the active
adult communities out on the market now," Piracini
said. Those
who buy condominiums, which all sport two-car garages, also
have access to amenities in the Avalon Danvers apartment
complex like the swimming pool. The condos cost $395,000
to $640,000.
Despite
efforts to preserve a portion of the Kirkbride building,
some say the demolition at the old hospital went too far.
Most of the buildings on the site were torn down. Demolition
on the south side of the hospital opened up a view of Boston,
Dale said.Town
Archivist Dick Trask said Danvers State Hospital used to
be one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
"on he Eastern Seaboard."
He
last toured the Kirkbride building three years ago, and
while he found it in rough shape, he said more of it and
other buildingsshould have been preserved, such as an 1870s
garage with a mansard roof that was also torn down."They
never conceded one item of preservation," Trask said.
"They stuck to their original plan."He likens
the preservation of the remaining portion of the Kirkbride
building to "a mounted deer head."Dale said it
was not easy to satisfy everyone with a stake in the hospital's
future while making the project economically viable. "We
had to search for that common ground from everyone who was
involved," Dale said, "and I think we have done
a good job in satisfying the different stakeholders."
1-20-2008
Website update
I
separated the more recent chronicle pages into individual
pages so it's easier to read and more organized. I also
added old news articles I purchased online. I find these
past stories very interesting to read in regards to the
state of our Mental Health system years ago. I'll continue
to post any current news about the former hospital property,
but it's safe to say it won't be as interesting as we're
used to. I'll also be updating the website with stories
from 1980's - 50's periodically.
John
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