The Patriot Group invited buyers to a meeting the evening of July 26, 2005. There were no formal presentations. Leith Wain (Managing Partner, The Patriot Group), Jerry Ricciardi (8045 Project Manager, The Patriot Group), Barbara Causey (Mayhood Company), and Carol Felix (Felix Communications) made brief statements and answered questions. This is a summary of the meeting.
[Meeting summary prepared by Steve Fine. This is not an exact record of what was said.]
Leith is proud of the level of construction detail in the project. The architect wanted to distinguish the building from a rental product. For instance, the double roof line changes the scale of the building and gives it perspective from street level. The shape of the edge of the roof will allow shafts of sunlight to shine down along the wall. Another example is the private garden/arcade area on the side of the building facing the parking garage. The area near the commemorative plaques will be covered with pavers. There is also nice detail in the seating area in the pedestrian arcade.
On the first floor, dry wall has been installed and sanded. On the third floor, drywall has been hung and the gypcrete for the floor has been poured. The fourth floor has received its close-in inspection. That inspection covers a number of aspects and is required before dry wall can be installed. Dry wall is being hung on the fourth floor. The fifth floor is being prepared for the close-in inspection.
Siding is being installed. The siding is Hardiplank, which is formed from cement and cellulose. Hardiplank is very durable. The siding will be painted "worldly gray," while the trim will be a darker shade of gray.
The furniture for the lobby has been ordered. Pictures were displayed of the lobby and pedestrian pathway furniture.
The Patriot Group is talking with security companies about access control systems. For instance, residents might use an electronic card or key fob to open exterior doors. The advantage of this over using a key is that if a card or key fob is lost, the access control system can be told to not recognize the lost item. Also, people with parking spaces might receive an electronic tag for their cars that will automatically open the garage door.
The general contractor has provided a revised schedule that shows first floor deliveries occurring in October, with no indication of when in October. After the first floor is ready for occupancy, a new floor will probably become ready every two weeks. The schedule shows top floor deliveries occurring in December. However, Leith believes that the schedule will slip even further. The schedule does not account for unforeseen issues. Leith has also seen subcontractors walking off the job prematurely.
A number of key things are scheduled to occur in August, such as cabinet installation. The Patriot Group will try to have a better internal assessment of the schedule by mid-August/September.
Tile installation in first-floor units will start next week. Cabinet installation will start the second week of August. Installation of pavers will begin in August. The 30'x6' art glass wall will be installed near the end of the project. As units become ready for settlement, The Patriot Group will walk through the units with the general contractor to identify problems that must be resolved.
One of the major reasons there has been problems with the schedule is that at the start of the project the general contractor provided two delivery dates to The Patriot Group. The contract stated that the project would be done in April, 2005, but the general contractor also provided The Patriot Group with a much earlier delivery date. The Patriot Group provided that earlier date to buyers, but once the project started the schedule quickly slipped.
About 60 days before the first-floor is ready for settlement, the Mayhood Company will send letters to all buyers. The Patriot Group is discussing when to send out the 60-day notice. The County requires that a number of items (e.g., at least one elevator, stairwells) be completed before occupancy can begin. Also, The Patriot Group must ensure that the general contractor will not need to use heavy equipment (e.g., cranes) in areas where residents need to be. Since the letters will be sent to all buyers at the same time but floors will be ready at different times, buyers should interpret the letters as "several months" notice.
About 30 days before a floor is ready for settlement, the Mayhood Company will personally contact buyers on that floor to schedule a pre-settlement orientation and walk-through where buyers can identify any problems and a Patriot Group representative can explain the units' systems. The orientation and walk-through will occur 7-10 days before settlement. The Patriot Group will try to resolve any problems before settlement.
Buyers will schedule their move-ins with the management company. The management company will meet with the general contractor next week to discuss the move-in process.
Warranty terms and responsible parties vary by item. For instance, The Patriot Group will be responsible for some items while manufacturers will be responsible for appliance warranties. The Patriot Group will develop a call program for the warranty items for which they are responsible.
The company handling settlement has changed. It is now Champion Title in Bethesda. One buyer reported receiving a letter recently from the old company, Settlement Corp. If that happens to anyone, they should contact The Mayhood Company.
Buyers who use one of the two lenders selected by The Patriot Group will receive a discount on closing costs. The Patriot Group selected SunTrust and Bank of America because they are household names that offer a wide variety of mortgages. However, one of the companies has been so busy recently that they did not return communications from a buyer who also happens to work at The Patriot Group. Leith said that buyers can use any lender, although he has observed some problems when people use Internet lenders, which may not be familiar with local requirements. Most lenders do not require a FNMA 1027 form.
Carol Felix said that her technical expert has reported that email is not reaching some of the buyers.
Carol has passed many questions from buyers on to The Patriot Group, which has been so busy managing the project that they have not kept up. The Patriot Group and Carol will review outstanding questions and post answers to the 8045condo.com web site. Continue sending questions to Carol.
At least one buyer reported not receiving the materials sent in the spring about the changes to the designs of some balconies and other aspects of some units. Anyone else who did not receive the material should contact The Mayhood Company.
Copyright © 2005 by Steve Fine. Reproduction prohibited without permission.
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Last updated: March 11, 2006