Dear MidCity Lofts Homeowners and Residents:

Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to read this correspondence about proposed changes and upgrades to our community.

Background and Perspective

I moved into MidCity Lofts in early 2003. After touring the building and (what was to become) my loft, I was sold by the upmarket nature of the property. The Sky Lounge and pool were gorgeous and I felt proud to own in this unique and vibrant living space.

However, my sense of pride of ownership in MidCity Lofts has been dampened recently. I have heard from many of you that you feel similarly. The carpets in the residential corridors and in Sky are stained from dog waste and dirt. The pool deck and furniture look tired and worn. Sky is in disrepair. It concerns me to hear that the talk amongst Midtown real estate agents is that our property is “not what it used to be”.

This is our home, and the Board takes seriously the commitment to preserve its value and competitiveness. As such, the Board, supported by the various committees, has worked diligently on many back stage issues.

• The communications committee, led by Stephen Harlan, has launched a resident website and online newsletter which has substantially improved communication between the Board, the management company and the residents.
• The finance committee, previously chaired by Joel Rubensohn and now directed by Richard Pfeiffer, has dedicated many hours to ensure that the transition to Fifth Street Management’s accounting system was suitable, accurate and that our finances are healthy.
• The Rules and Regulations Committee, previously led by me and now under the capable leadership of Mary Beth Einhorn, has devoted time and energy to reviewing our current rules and drafting new policies. These new policies befit the vision of MidCity Lofts returning to its former stature as one of the premier places to live in Midtown.
• The members of the Design Committee have evaluated, discussed and coalesced around a new design firm and plan to create a superior living space for MidCity Lofts homeowners and residents.

Amendments

During the Homeowners’ Forum on August 26th, we will be discussing several amendments to the Declaration of Condominium for MidCity Lofts. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly address the proposed amendments and the benefits they will provide to you. The primary purpose of the amendments is to allow the Association to impose annually a minimal pet registration fee for dog owners, and to clarify certain issues regarding the assessment of fines and leasing within the community.

With respect to the amendment for the dog registration fee, the Board believes that this will benefit the community as it will offset the cost to replace the dog waste bags and clean the receptacles on the property. This fee will also compensate for the wear and tear on the building, new landscape maintenance and cleaning costs associated with homeowners’ and residents’ dogs. Another benefit of this amendment is that all pet owners will be required to provide information to the Association concerning their pets. This can be extremely useful in emergency situations, if the concierge team and property managers need to rescue any pets. As you may know, dog registration fees are not unusual and there are currently other communities within the Midtown area that have such fees in place. The Board urges your approval of this amendment, as well as the amendments relating to the fining and leasing provisions. These amendments will allow for better enforcement within the community and will also serve to enhance the overall attractiveness and value of MidCity Lofts.

In addition to the proposed amendments mentioned above, please note that the Board of Directors recently adopted a Leasing Resolution which will be distributed to each homeowner and resident during the next two weeks. This Resolution specifically addresses the current leasing provisions in the Declaration, and the steps that will be taken by the Board to ensure that each owner is in compliance with such provisions. The Board is in the process of adopting several other policies that are related to the governing legal documents for the community, all of which will be distributed to each owner once they have been finalized. These policies will enable homeowners and residents to be more fully informed of the stipulations in the Declaration and will allow for greater transparency between the Board and the MidCity Lofts community.

Design and Renovations

The meeting will also include a presentation of the renovations and upgrades to our corridors, elevator lobbies and landscaping. Concepts for Sky and the pool deck will also be introduced. Both discussions are oriented towards increasing the value of our property, especially in this current economic environment.

Please look for an agenda for the Homeowners’ Forum to be delivered within the next 48 hours. In the meantime, if you have any questions, comments or concerns relating to these items, or our community in general, please contact me at reslonina@aol.com.

Thank you. I look forward to seeing you in Sky next Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. Please note that refreshments will be served.

Sincerely,

Rayandra Slonina
President of the Board
MidCity Lofts Homeowners’ Association