Evolve Property Management LLC is a property development and property management company in Washington, D.C. As a development company, Evolve LLC purchases vacant, mismanaged and underutilized properties for the purpose of restoration or adaptive re-use. In addition to managing the properties it owns, Evolve also provides a host of management services for a variety of condominium, cooperative and tenant associations as well as single and multi-family rentals, offering services and options that help residents “live better.”
Problem:
For most apartment and condominium residents, especially those living in the nation’s capital, access to high-speed Internet is no longer viewed as an amenity, but as a necessity. About seven years ago, Evolve recognized the need to make it easy for residents to access a high-speed connection, but was concerned about the impact of integrating broadband technology into historic buildings.
“It's not historically accurate to have cables running down the hallways or on the building’s exterior,” explained Christopher Swanson, co-owner of Evolve. “We needed a broadband solution that would meet our resident’s needs while maintaining the historic integrity of each property.”
In addition, Evolve has a strong commitment to supporting local businesses, so its preference was to work with a DC-based Internet provider – a tall order in an industry where broadband solutions (including Cable, DSL and Wi-Fi) are dominated by national providers.
Solution:
In 2003, Evolve entered into an agreement with DC Access to provide Wireless Internet at a number of its multi-family buildings. DC Access is D.C’s first and only Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) and is locally owned by the husband-and-wife team of Matt Wade and Martha Huizenga. The company provides Wi-Fi to more than 500 subscribers in D.C., and has partnerships with several property management companies.
