Mallory Belt considers herself lucky to manage The Rochester, Community Builders of Kansas City’s (CBKC) $13 million luxury apartment community and one of the first developments of its kind on Kansas City’s East Side in recent history.
Belt works for Worcester Communities, a 20-year-old family-run property management firm that began managing The Rochester in February.
“Once we saw what was created at The Rochester — an urban Class A property on the East Side that’s home to a tight-knit, multigenerational community where everyone knows each other’s names — we wanted to be part of it,” she said. “It was exciting to see CBKC’s and (president and CEO) Emmet Pierson’s vision come to life.”
With upscale one- and two-bedroom apartments, a state-of-the-art fitness center and multiple gathering spaces, The Rochester is one of CBKC’s transformational developments designed to strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life for residents east of Prospect.
“It’s what CBKC stands for – giving back to communities – that drew Worcester to the partnership,” Belt said. “It fully aligns with our values.”
For Belt, managing The Rochester also feels a little like coming home. She grew up near the property and has a strong personal connection to the area.
“When you’re from this area, you really protect it,” she said. “You know the stigma that comes along with it, and you also know that’s not the reality at all.”
She sees that reality every day at The Rochester, where residents look out for their neighbors. If someone is in the hospital, for example, Belt said chances are another resident will let her know. Informal gatherings happen often. At a recent barbecue, residents ranging from millennials to people in their 80s cooked, talked and shared a meal together. During football season, Sunday watch parties are a regular sight at The Nest, The Rochester’s rooftop deck and indoor lounge.
Worcester also plans resident events designed to bring neighbors together. This spring, a “Sips and Succulents” gathering invited residents to paint pots and plant succulents. Residents from 40 of The Rochester’s 64 units attended.
Belt plans to host property-led events at least quarterly, with activities ranging from financial literacy and legal education classes to social events such as a Halloween-themed paint-and-sip.
But beyond the fun, Belt said her top priorities are service and accessibility — making sure residents receive prompt responses to maintenance requests and feel heard.
She keeps regular onsite office hours and makes herself easy to reach.
“A positive resident experience starts with the first phone call,” she said. “I make sure I return prospective residents’ calls right away and offer assistance throughout the application process. For an extra, personal touch, I provide move-in gift baskets with soap, dishwasher detergent, paper towels, a cutting board and toilet paper – items someone may have forgotten but needs on that hectic first day.”
That personal touch continues after move-in.
Belt sends birthday emails to residents and recently handed out care packages filled with motivational messages and self-care items such as eye patches and face masks.
In keeping with CBKC’s emphasis on creating a resident-centered experience that goes beyond housing, Belt also hopes to build partnerships with local service providers and expand programming available to residents. Feedback from a recent tenant survey will help guide the kinds of classes, resources and events offered.
“If new events are well attended, I’d like to increase them to monthly,” she said.
Asked what she envisions for The Rochester’s future, Belt’s answer is immediate: “100 percent occupancy.” The property is currently 96 percent occupied, including the Penthouse, the elevated two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, with two additional units pending leases and just one unit still available.
Worcester Communities was founded in 2006 by brothers Jesse, Joel and Paul Worcester alongside their father, Doug. The company provides full-service property management for multifamily communities, including leasing, management, accounting, collections, maintenance and rehabilitation. Today, Worcester Communities owns and operates more than 3,500 apartment units across Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Wichita, Kansas.