Building Management Australia (BMA) has provided 24/7 valet services for The Tower Apartments in Sydney’s CBD since 2013 — but it was during the lengthy COVID-19 lockdowns that the team showed how quickly they could ‘pivot’.
The team implemented some innovative carpark management strategies to ensure residents had easy access to their cars — and the systems built under pressure then are still delivering for residents today.
The Tower Apartments, located atop the Swissotel in Market Street, is home to numerous high-profile residents, many of whom have key frontline roles in healthcare and other sectors. This is why it was crucial to maintain continuity of valet service for all car-owning residents, but especially for the building’s frontline workers.
“We needed to prioritise the car-parking needs of residents who are frontline workers — doctors, nurses and police officers — to ensure their cars were always positioned so they could exit quickly,” says BMA’s Car Park Manager Warwick Burrows.
Burrows realised he needed some new strategies to ensure residents weren’t going to be inconvenienced. “Our priority is also to make it quick and easy for residents to come and go,” he says. “We had to figure out a way to maintain a high level of service.”
Valet Parking Challenges
When it’s “business as usual”, Burrows and his team provide a 24/7 valet service, with the biggest daily challenge being choosing the right spots for cars to meet residents’ needs. “Residents’ needs change, so we have to be flexible and responsive,” says Burrows. “We also have standby team members in place as required.”
Burrows adds that residents’ cars are looked after from the moment they pull into the car park. “We ask them when they will next need their car and, based on this, we choose the most appropriate spot. Then we store their keys securely in case we have to move them.”
Burrows and his team also liaise closely with The Tower’s concierge to help facilitate a smooth “getaway” for residents. “The concierge will often buzz down to tell us when a resident is planning to take their car out,” Burrows says. “Residents also feel more secure knowing me and my team are on-site 24/7. They like knowing they’re not driving into a deserted car park late at night.”
Maintaining Service During Lockdown
The lockdowns created additional challenges, the biggest being ensuring all the residents who were frontline workers could get their car out quickly and easily at any hour of the day or night. “In many other CBD apartment buildings, where there are more cars than spaces, cars can be parked in, making it impossible to get out and in some cases creating a gridlock. For frontline workers, it’s crucial they can get to work on time,” he says.
By the time Greater Sydney went into lockdown, Burrows had devised a plan that enabled residents to temporarily and easily manage parking on their own. It consisted of the following:
- Cars that weren’t going to leave the car park were parked towards the back.
- Frontline workers’ cars were positioned near the exit and weren’t parked in.
- The remaining cars were positioned so only one or two cars were blocking them, and the owners shared their mobile numbers so they could arrange to move their cars as needed.
- All keys were returned to the owners.
Another innovative solution came from recognising that a more effective way to keep track of residents’ car-park requirements was needed: Burrows suggested a new computer system. “I helped develop software that enabled us to match a car’s registration number with the owner’s name, mobile number and apartment number,” he says. “Now, with just the resident’s name or apartment number, we immediately know which car is theirs and can get it ready before they arrive. The software also makes it easier to communicate with residents, and to keep track of their parking needs.”
BMA Director Andrew Veron notes that all residents continued to enjoy personalised service and car-parking convenience throughout the lockdown, despite the team being short-staffed. “Warwick and the team went above and beyond, ensuring frontline worker residents could always get their cars out quickly, and working longer hours to cover for team members in locked-down LGAs. We’re very proud of the team.”
Lockdown Strategies That Delivered Lasting Convenience
With the lockdowns behind us, residents and the valet parking team continue to benefit from the car-park management software built during that period — a permanent improvement that came out of a temporary crisis.
“We enjoy assisting residents, not just with parking and positioning their cars, but also by providing trolleys with baskets to transport their groceries and other items from their car to their apartments,” Burrows says. “As we have their keys, we often put things in their car for them. Our role is to make the residents’ lives easier.”
By 2021, Burrows had spent 21 years as The Tower Apartments’ Car Park Manager, seven of them with BMA. “I came down from Coffs Harbour to fill a security role at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and never went back,” he says. “One thing my experience with lockdown taught me is that if there’s another one, I’m ready for it. The valet service we provide will continue to be as seamless as ever for our residents.”
In addition to valet parking and a secure 24/7 fully managed car park, The Tower Apartments features a concierge, pool, spa, sauna and steam room, beauty salon, gym, room service, restaurant, bar and private lounge, library, and function rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a valet parking service in an apartment building involve?
A valet team takes residents’ cars on arrival, positions them according to when each resident next needs the car, holds keys securely, and has the car ready before the resident comes down — typically coordinated with the building’s concierge. In a stacked CBD car park with more cars than spaces, it’s what makes the car park usable at all.
Why does a 24/7 on-site valet team matter for security?
Basement car parks are one of a building’s security weak points. A team on site around the clock means residents aren’t driving into a deserted car park late at night, vehicle entries are watched, and keys and cars are accounted for — a security layer as much as a convenience.
How does car-park management software help residents?
By linking each car’s registration to the owner’s name, apartment and mobile number, the team can identify a resident’s car instantly from their name or apartment number, have it ready before they arrive, and communicate with them about parking needs — faster service with fewer errors.
Can BMA provide valet and car-park management for our building?
Yes — valet, secure 24/7 managed car parks and concierge are among the services BMA provides to residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings across Sydney, alongside on-site and visiting building management.
Valet and Car-Park Management That Residents Notice
Building Management Australia is a Sydney building management firm — not a strata agent. 24/7 valet, secure managed car parks and concierge services are part of what we provide to some of Sydney’s most demanding buildings, alongside on-site building management and your strata manager.
If your building’s car park could work harder for its residents, request a proposal at bmaus.com.au or email Andrew directly at andrew@bmaus.com.au.
About the Author
Andrew Veron is the founder of Building Management Australia (BMA), an independent Sydney building management firm established in 1995. BMA is a building management company — not a strata agent — providing on-site and visiting building management, facilities management, concierge, cleaning and valet services to residential, commercial and mixed-use properties. Over the past 30 years, Andrew and the BMA team have managed buildings across the Eastern Suburbs, North Sydney, Inner Sydney, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, with assets currently valued in excess of $3 billion under management. Because BMA is independent of any strata management firm, committees receive unbiased advice and transparent contractor relationships. Reach Andrew at andrew@bmaus.com.au or bmaus.com.au.
This article describes BMA’s experience at a specific building during the 2021 Sydney lockdowns and is general information only. Services and arrangements vary by building; contact BMA to discuss your building’s requirements.
