Moving On Up at Enclave With a Major Renovation

With its renovation, Enclave Silver Spring is trying to make over its image as well as its apartments.

"We want people who appreciate the building and will treat it as their home and who will call the building home for a long time," said J'aime Huret, community manager for Enclave.

Riverstone Residential manages the property on behalf of a group of private investors who bought the complex in 2003, when it was called Berkshire Towers.

The 26-acre property sits just off Route 29, about a 10-minute drive from downtown Silver Spring, and includes 1,119 apartments in three similar 19-floor buildings. The $60 million overhaul of the 40-year-old buildings began in 2004 and is scheduled for completion early next year.

"They've definitely changed the face of the community," said Jovan White, 30, who has lived at Enclave Silver Spring for three years. "I understand some people have problems, but everything has been okay for me."

Unhappy residents have turned to the online forum http://ApartmentRatings.com to air complaints about such issues as roach infestations, heating problems, break-ins and difficulty with management staff. Huret responds to complaints on the site, but even that sometimes draws suspicion from residents.

One poster in January wrote: "They greet you with a smile, make promises, offer you champagne, then you sign a lease which says you have to pay your rent on the first of each month for the next year. He is only posting here because they are not getting the 'type' of people they want to rent these apartments."

The high-rise's renovation has included a retrofitting of buildings to allow for all but the studio apartments to have individual washers and dryers. Management has also put in new heating and cooling systems, sprinkler systems, windows, and balconies.

Other changes include brighter hallways and lobbies, and the addition of a new, stand-alone Resident Amenity Center that includes a fitness center; a game room; a business center; and a spacious clubhouse with seating areas, a fireplace and televisions.

The amenity center also houses new staff offices. Before, leasing and management staff worked out of make-shift offices in dingy apartment units.

Each building has a 24-hour concierge, and a courtesy officer patrols 24 hours a day. The community also includes a Zen relaxation garden, lighted tennis courts, a boccie ball area, sand volleyball and an outdoor swimming pool open from April 1 to Nov. 15.

White said he especially likes the amenity center, where he often plays pool while watching sports on television. "It's like a bright spot with all the dust and construction going on here," he said.