Blog

Monthly Updates & Upcoming Events (July)

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS Moving, Downsizing, Reorganizing? Donate your unwanted items to someone who could really use it. Colonie Apartments is proud to announce a new partnership with Hearts for the Homeless . Have a heart, support a charity! As part of our Vie Inspired campaign for the month of July, collect any unwanted clothing, shoes, and blankets and place them in the red receptacle next to the fitness center. Donations are greatly appreciated and will be distributed to the homeless population in our area. Thank you in advance for your contribution! Recycling Clothes, Restoring Lives. RENT REMINDER Rent is due on the 1st of the month. Payments received after the 2nd are subject to late fees. To pay your rent online, please visit the Resident Portal. If you have any questions or concerns please email our Accounts Manager at [email protected] or 716-748-8701. SPECIAL OFFERS Refer a friend to live in our community and receive a $200 rent credit after they move-in! Contact our office for additional information. HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS In observance of Independence Day our office will close at 1 pm on Friday, July 3rd. Please note we are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Have a safe and fun weekend! CONNECT WITH US Follow @ColonieApartments on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest updates and upcoming events. IMPORTANT DATES July 7th & July 21st FOOD TRUCK TUESDAY Lloyd Taco Truck 5:30 pm-8:00 pm July 1st WAKE-UP WEDNESDAYS The Bean Bastard Coffee Truck 8:30 am-12:30 pm July 9th J+L BBQ 4:30 pm-6:30 pm July 16th Cheesy Chick Food Truck 5 pm-7 pm July 23rd Falafel Bar Food Truck Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Food 5 pm-7:30 pm **Dates/times above subject to change** TIPS 1. Hit the Beach Now that beaches officially have the say to be open, why not spend July 4th soaking in some rays with your feet in the sand. While there are social distancing measures that must be upheld, the beach can still be a fun destination to cool down or why not, set up a picnic! 2. Make a Patio Reservation or Grab it To-Go Patios are opening all over WNY and we are here for it! If you are looking for a low key 4th of July, why not enjoy an evening with some close friends or family with a dinner outing. 3. Hit the Water On a Pedal Boat Tour It all started with group pedal tours on land, but now you can group pedal on water too. Check out Buffalo Pedal Tours or Buffalo Cycle Boats for two great options to party with a private group on Buffalo’s gorgeous waterways. Bring your own food and drinks, they do the rest. Note: While these activities are meant to be spent with friends and family, we recommend you keep social distancing measures in mind and to your comfort level.

Monthly Updates & Upcoming Events (June)

Monthly Highlights: Colonie Apartments is proud to announce a new partnership with Hearts for the Homeless . Have a heart, support a charity! As part of our Vie Inspired campaign for the month of June, collect any unwanted clothing, shoes, and blankets and place them in the red receptacle next to the fitness center. Donations are greatly appreciated and will be distributed to the homeless population in our area. Thank you in advance for your contribution! Recycling Clothes, Restoring Lives. Rent Reminder: Rent is due on the 1st of the month. Payments received after the 2nd are subject to late fees. To pay your rent online, please visit the Resident Portal. If you have any questions or concerns please email our Accounts Manager at [email protected] or 716-748-8701. Special Offers: Refer a friend to live in our community and receive a $200 rent credit after they move-in! Contact our office for additional information. Resident Events: Every Tuesday at Colonie: FOOD TRUCK TUESDAY Lloyd Taco Truck with CBW Pop-Up 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Every Wednesday at Colonie: WAKE-UP WEDNESDAYS The Bean Bastard Coffee Truck 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Every Friday at Colonie: FULL BELLY FRIDAYS B&L Blvd BBQ Truck 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm **Dates/times above subject to change** Important Dates: Father's Day is Sunday, June 21st! Join us in a worldwide celebration that recognizes the contribution of fathers and father figures as we say thank you and celebrate fatherhood and male parenting. 4 Things To Do On Father's Day: 1. Serve a hearty brunch. Start his day with a feast fit for a king, complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, and a build-your-own bagel spread. 2. Plan a family game night. If he's a stickler about screen time, give dad what he really wants this Father's Day - quality time with the family. Once you convince everyone to step away from their phones, battle it out over a few board games, or see how well you can work together with complicated jigsaw puzzles. Just let dad choose which game to play! 3. Steal his heart with sweets. The only thing sweeter than your relationship with dad is the Father's Day cake that you'll make him. Find one that best matches his flavor, then dress it up with decorations that suit his interests. 4. Revisit the best games in sports history. Like everything else, most sporting events are on pause for the foreseeable future. But, if he's the type to hunker down in front of the TV and watch his team on Father's Day, then track down the best games for an all-day marathon. Just make sure the marathon ends on a winning note for dad's sake... and yours. Holiday Hours: The leasing office will have limited office hours on Tuesday, June 2nd. In observance of this, the office will be open from 11 am to 3 pm. Connect With Us! Follow @ColonieApartments on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest updates and upcoming events.

COVID-19 Community Update

Dears Residents and Guarantors, We continue to implement and enforce measures to protect and promote the well-being of our residents as we strive to minimize the impact of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in our communities. As we confront the challenges of the pandemic, we have made the health and safety of our community the top priority and are committed to communicating with you to keep you updated on these efforts. We have implemented the following measures to date to protect our residents: Increased the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of highly trafficked or touched areas or surfaces Temporarily canceled in-person tours and converted them to our Trademarked ForShow App which enables on-site self-guided tours Temporarily limited access to the community Temporarily canceled community functions and events Published reminders to residents about the preventative measures they should be taking to decrease the likelihood of spreading the illness Installed protective barriers to minimize the spread Limited the staff’s face-to-face interactions with others Please note we require everyone to wear a mask or facial covering while using the community grounds (i.e. in the elevators, while transiting hallways and moving throughout the community). In compliance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations, and in observance of practicing social distancing, we are limiting the number of guests allowed to use the elevator(s), in communities where applicable, to no more than four (4) people at one time. We are also requiring our residents to continue taking all precautionary measures to stay safe by practicing social distancing and asking residents to follow hygienic guidelines from the CDC. Please understand we are committed to serving you and our communities while prioritizing your safety and the safety of our team members, thus we have decided that the practice of social distancing and the new protocols we have been implementing these past weeks will remain effective until further notice. Because the virus is spreading to different regions at different rates, the decision to reopen our common spaces (e.g., Vie Fit fitness centers, pools, and other common areas such as our social and co-working lounges) will be made on a regional basis based on the prevailing facts and circumstances about the SARS-CoV-2 virus. And, when local conditions permit the opening of these spaces, we have created a scheduling app to help you safely enjoy the community’s amenities at your leisure. We will continue to provide up-to-date information during this evolving situation. We would like to remind you we are here to support you and hope you remain safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Again, thank you for your continuous support. Stay safe, Colonie Apartments - Management Team

COVID-19 Statement Updated 04/15/2020

Dears Residents and Guarantors, We have been sending you, as part of our commitment to provide updates concerning COVID-19 best practices to protect your safety and well-being. We have put protective measures and new policies in place to minimize the impact of the spread of COVID-19 in our community, which we have implemented effectively and immediately. In compliance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations, and in observance of practicing social distancing we are limiting the number of guests allowed to use the elevator(s), in the communities where applicable, to no more than four (4) people at one time. We have also asked our residents to continue taking all precautionary measures to stay safe by staying home, practicing social distancing, and following hygiene guidelines from the CDC. Please note the use of facial covering or masks in locations where social distancing is not possible has been instructed by the CDC. We are asking everyone to wear a mask or facial covering while using the elevators and while transiting hallways and the community. As we understand the distress this current situation is causing you and the community and, in an effort, to assist in easing the financial stress of paying rents we are: Absorbing the cost of e-check payments online. Allowing partial payments online. Allowing partial payments mailed to the office. Waiving April late fees. We can also provide a list of agencies/churches that may be able to assist you with financial relief for rent payments. In addition, the PUEC provision provides for an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits for individuals who have exhausted benefits they are otherwise entitled to under state law. Therefore, eligible individuals now may receive unemployment benefits up to a maximum of 39 weeks, whereas previously many states capped regular benefits at 26 weeks. The extended benefits are available through December 31, 2020. Finally, we will be setting up a one-hour Community Update call with our Vie Management Director of Operations, Vie Management Regional Managers and General Managers at each of our communities to review the various measures and policies we have put in place, as well as, answer any questions you may have. You will be able to submit your questions in advance. We will be getting back to you shortly with a date, time, and number to call. Again, thank you for your continuous support through these difficult times. Stay Safe, Colonie Apartments - Management Team

COVID-19 Update

Dear Guests, The health and well-being of our guests, team members, and community is our priority and we continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves. We want to assure you we continue focusing our resources on greater attention to cleanliness and minimizing the circumstances for transmission. Steps we have put in place include: Significantly increasing the frequency and rigor of cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch areas including door handles, railings, and bathrooms. Deploying hand-sanitization stations throughout the community and encouraging handwashing. Changing filters throughout the community. Making wellness checks and inspecting units more often. Suspending all business travel for our team members as well as implementing work from home options. Forming an internal task force to monitor the situation, assess decisions and adjust our responses to the evolving guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and local and state agencies, for updates and further necessary precautions. We are also advising our guests who experience a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing to visit health professionals. Should an outbreak occur, protocols are in place. In response to the latest developments concerning COVID-19 and in keeping with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and local and state agencies starting today (Monday, March 16) we are making additional adjustments. We are prohibiting visitors to the community and are banning any gathering in accordance with the guidance to practice social distancing and to limit exposure to our guests as well as our team members. Consequently, we are restricting any on site-tours. However, we will continue to conduct tours using FaceTime, Skype, and ForShow. We are closing our Vie FIT fitness centers until further notice. During this closure, we will perform a full, deep clean and maintenance of all these areas. The use of our Vie Tech social lounges and of our co-working/computer labs/study lounges will be restricted to office hours until further notice. We will monitor usage to make sure the practice of social distancing is observed. We will clean after every guest as well as ensure that before these spaces open every day they have been deep cleaned. With the start of pool season fast approaching, we will continue the preparation of opening our pools with the understanding that if recommended otherwise we will postpone the opening dates. We are continuing to cultivate our community yet we are shifting our efforts to communicate with our guests (visitors, residents, and prospects alike) to social media and online marketing (company and community website) in an effort to limit exposure and cultivate social well-being. In our commitment to provide a safe and healthy place to live we would like you to continue being mindful of the practice of social distancing and the no-touch policy . During this difficult and confusing time, we ask that you take care of yourselves and continue to support each other, both in and outside of the community. We wish everyone good health and safety. Colonie Apartments - Management Team