Standing Above the Crowd: How Arris Apartments Achieves Excellence in Navy Yard's Competitive Market
In the highly competitive Navy Yard market, standing out requires meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to service quality that exceeds expectations. This philosophy has earned Mill Creek Residential's Arris Apartments a 2025 Property Management Association Apartment Community Excellence Award, which recognizes apartment communities for management excellence and superior resident experiences.
Arris features 327 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartment homes with an impressive 95% occupancy rate. More telling is the community's 75% resident retention rate—significantly higher than the industry average of 55%. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the property's location just five blocks from the Capitol, where turnover often follows changes in political administration and biannual election results.
The secret to Arris's success lies in truly understanding what residents value. Property Manager Sarah Tamba leverages community events—pool parties, movie nights, Irish trivia, paint and sips, Yappy hours, and holiday celebrations—as opportunities to connect with residents on a personal level. "At community events, I usually talk to a number of residents just to hear what's on their minds,” Tamba explains. “Those informal moments create space for honest conversations, and residents often share feedback or small issues that might not feel urgent enough to stop by the office—but still matter.”
The management team takes a proactive approach to gathering feedback through surveys issued 90 days before lease renewals. With approximately 55% of residents responding, these surveys often reveal maintenance concerns or other pain points that haven't been formally communicated, allowing the team to address issues before they impact renewal decisions.
Quality assurance extends to every service interaction. Following maintenance calls, the team contacts residents to ensure work quality met expectations and to identify any additional needs.
While Mill Creek Residential mandates a two-business-day response time for service requests, the Arris team has set an even higher bar: one business day. This commitment to responsiveness earned recognition from PACE judges, who noted, "The entire staff was warm, welcoming and professional. The pride they have in the community was obvious."
Arris is one of the only Navy Yard communities offering 24-hour desk and concierge services, providing package acceptance and delivery, valet dry cleaning, event planning, and other conveniences that set the property apart.
The amenity offerings impressed PACE judges not just in quantity, but in quality and maintenance. Highlights include:
Rooftop Experience: A 25-yard rooftop pool with stunning Capitol views and meticulously maintained deck and landscaping create an unmatched outdoor retreat.
Community Spaces: A large community room available for private events features comfortable lounge areas, a conference room, and pool and shuffleboard tables.
Fitness Center: State-of-the-art fitness center with an indoor climbing wall and complimentary towels. Outdoor Courtyards: Two thoughtfully designed spaces—one with grills, seating, fountain, and fire pits; another with a bar area, fire pit, lush greenery, and stone wall—provide multiple gathering options.
Pet Amenities: A dedicated pet park in Navy Yard and regular activities cater to four-legged residents.
Individual apartment homes feature chef-inspired kitchen islands with breakfast seating, abundant cabinet space, under-cabinet lighting, granite countertops, tile backsplash, Energy Star stainless steel appliances, double ovens, wood flooring, built-in bookcases, in-unit washers and dryers, and spa-inspired baths with frameless glass showers, double sinks, and lighted full-length mirrors.
Arris offers residents the Millcreek Peace of Mind Guarantee: if residents decide the community isn't right for them after move-in, they can leave penalty-free within 30 days. "The guarantee tells residents of the confidence we have in our community," Tamba explains.
This combination of attentive service, exceptional amenities, and resident-focused policies has created a community where people don't just live—they thrive and choose to stay.