Condo Access Control Upgrade on Chicago's North Shore

Project Overview

A 120-unit condominium building on Chicago’s North Shore contacted Vidimost LLC to replace an outdated access control system that had been in service for over a decade. The building’s management company was dealing with a growing list of security complaints from residents and board members who wanted a modern solution with mobile credentials and centralized management. After evaluating the existing infrastructure and the building’s requirements, we designed and installed a Brivo cloud-based access control system across all six entry points.

The Challenge

The building relied on a legacy HID card reader system installed in the mid-2010s. Over the years, the system had accumulated several serious problems. Hundreds of access cards had been issued with no reliable tracking of which ones were still active. Former residents, contractors, and past employees of the management company still held valid credentials that had never been deactivated. There was no centralized audit trail, so when security incidents occurred, there was no way to determine who had accessed which door and when.

The card readers themselves were showing their age. Two of the six readers had intermittent read failures, forcing residents to swipe multiple times before gaining entry. The system’s proprietary management software ran on a single aging desktop computer in the building manager’s office, and credential changes required a technician to be physically on-site. Adding or removing a resident’s access could take days depending on the technician’s schedule.

The board needed a system that would eliminate the credential management backlog, provide real-time access logs, and give residents a modern entry experience without carrying a separate card.

Site Conditions

The building has six controlled entry points: a main lobby entrance, a rear entrance, two stairwell doors from the parking garage, a fitness center door, and a package room. Existing low-voltage wiring ran from each door to a central closet in the basement mechanical room. During our site survey, we confirmed that the existing wiring was in good condition and could be reused for the new system, avoiding the cost and disruption of pulling new cable through finished walls and ceilings.

The building’s internet connection was adequate for cloud-based access control, with a stable business-class fiber line already in place.

The Solution

We installed Brivo ACS300 controllers in the basement mechanical room, connected to new readers at each of the six entry points. The Brivo platform provides a cloud-hosted dashboard where the building manager can add or revoke credentials from any web browser or smartphone. Residents received mobile credentials through the Brivo Mobile Pass app, allowing them to unlock doors using their phones via Bluetooth. Physical key fobs were also provisioned for residents who preferred a traditional credential.

The cloud dashboard gives the management team full visibility into every access event. They can pull reports showing who entered which door and when, set schedules to restrict access to the fitness center during quiet hours, and instantly revoke credentials when a resident moves out. Automated alerts notify management when a door is held open or forced, which was a persistent problem at the parking garage stairwell entrances.

For more details on the technology behind this project, visit our access control services page or learn about our access control upgrade process.

Installation Approach

The project was completed in three phases over two weeks to minimize disruption to residents. During the first phase, we installed the Brivo controllers and network equipment in the mechanical room. In the second phase, we swapped readers at each entry point one at a time, keeping the old system active on the remaining doors while each new reader was tested and commissioned. Residents were notified of each door changeover 48 hours in advance.

The third phase focused on credential enrollment. We held two on-site enrollment sessions where residents could download the Brivo Mobile Pass app and receive their mobile credentials in person. Residents who could not attend were enrolled remotely through email invitations sent from the Brivo dashboard.

The entire old card database was decommissioned once all active residents were migrated to the new system.

Outcome

The building now operates on a fully cloud-managed access control platform with real-time visibility and mobile-first credentials. Management overhead for credential changes dropped from days to minutes. The board received positive feedback from residents who appreciated the convenience of phone-based entry, and the management company reported a noticeable reduction in security-related complaints within the first month.

Contact Vidimost LLC at (872) 254-5015 or [email protected] to discuss an access control upgrade for your building.