Getting, building and now, moving a shop

[jermfab]

Hello all... I find myself in the unenviable position of having to downsize and move my shop from the building I built it in to one significantly smaller. I’m going from 12k sq. ft. to 5200. Thankfully I don’t use most of the 12k feet and have rented portions out to other people to help cover my nut since me and my partner bought the place.

I’ll do my best to not wax philosophical... too much. I am sad to see this building, the neighborhood, etc go.

My partner and I bought the building in 2012... it was a perfect storm kinda deal. I was ready to go big boy and get out of the garage and shed at my house and the building was CHEAP. Additionally, the entity we purchased the property from needed 6 months to vacate and had some other caveats. The price point was that of a modest house, cash money for an investor. I believe the terms imposed by the seller scared away a lot of those types and the 6-months to vacate meant SBA loans (which require 51%+ occupancy at time of closing) weren’t available.

We didn’t mind waiting six months... it gave us time to figure out what we were gonna do...

I’ve long liked the idea of “Maker Spaces”... and figured it was a way to have my cake and eat it as well. I could have the equipment and space I desired and share it, to a degree, with the community. I modeled the concept off a space in Portland, OR. called Shop People. A friend and I happened across it on a road trip years ago.

So, the partner and I had a concept... even if we had no real idea of how to execute it. We had financing and a few ins to the artist and maker community here in Atlanta.

Here’s the view from the road:

Note the proximity of the transformers! Not a consideration when we purchased the building, but having them so close was AWESOME when I upgraded from 208v 3-phase, 200 amp service to 600 amp service. Ga. Power didn’t charge us anything to upgrade the transformers or service conductors.

All I had to pay a licensed electrician for was the meter base, safety disconnect and panel inside. It wasn’t cheap, but fortunately the electrician was willing to leave me the bare 600 amp panel. He told me to get the NEC book and not to electrocute myself.

I bought the book and figured it out. The building was originally built for the Atlanta Broom Company, long defunct. I cannot imagine the cost of building it, or what it will cost to demolish... but as the first insurance adjuster said when she examined the place: “They sure don’t build them like this anymore...”

That’s the roof... precast concrete. The building is semi-subterranean, but built on a crawl space?!? Unfortunately the original designers didn’t foresee changing the layout of the mechanical stuff as it was all buried in the crawl and inaccessible.

You know those galvanized pipes they liked to use back in the day??? Turns out they rust through after a few decades... someone prior to us cut access holes in the floor:

Also turns out the building designer cast in all the electrical conduit as well. Repurposing that for my purposes was... not fun. I spent WEEKS on my back in the crawl tracing and changing the runs to suit me.
When we bought the place this original chase had like two wires in it:

It’s full now.

I had hand tools when I moved into the building and access at work to much more, but I didn’t own EQUIPMENT prior to this shop.

What I’ve got can’t match many of you fellows, but it’s mine. It’s paid for, it works. In some cases I have bigger aspirations.
Here’s the main shop, my stuff:

Since I had the “ OPPORTUNITY” to build this from the ground up I got to make all of my own mistakes. I’ve made almost everything shop-built in here, good, bad or ugly.

It didn’t start as a conscious decision, but even before the shop I knew wheels were expensive. For me, 2-4’ end cuts of 2”x4” box tube are plentiful... and rather worthless. But they make great runners for skids.

And now I only need one set of wheels, either a pallet jack or forklift. Because of the communal nature and building construction... I wouldn’t have a forklift INSIDE this building. There’s two pallet jacks that live wherever they are in the building. They’re never THAT far away...

Another decision that didn’t start totally consciously... all the skidded-up stuff is roughly the same height as the Delta UniSaw on its skid... as well as all of the tables. +/- 3/16” or so, before the variance of the concrete.

With a pallet-jack, shop crane and chain-fall I’ve lifted plenty of heavy stuff. And you can grab pretty much ANY flat surface to act as a sawhorse. You can slide heavy stuff across the surfaces. It started as a happy coincidence and only took a modicum of forethought to continue.

I highly endorse standardized heights across the shop. Within reason, obviously.

I made another post about the short material organizers I made. They work for me.

Deal ain’t done yet, but this building is slated to close on August 7... I can’t really make a deal until then, but I’ve got earnest money on another spot. The fat lady hasn’t sung, but she’s clearing her throat.

I’m just sharing... catharsis.


Let’s see where this goes.




Be safe and stay healthy





Jeremy

 

[jermfab]

I’m finally ACTUALLY moving stuff. There were... pitfalls, expected and unexpected purchasing the replacement property, but I finally closed the deal 12/2. The deal took longer and cost more (don’t they always[emoji23]) so I’m moving on the shortest shoestring I can. Thankfully everything I own was designed to move, either with pallet jack/forklift skids or wheels so aside from wearing out my boots it’s easy enough.
Unfortunately the cost of the replacement property is gonna make me have to be REAL smart about any immediate improvements I make. I *think* I’ve got enough budgeted for power, but that’s about it. I borrowed a 5-ton stake body truck from a friend and I’m waiting to call in favors until I absolutely have to. Here’s some progress pictures:

Hopefully things will get interesting once I can actually start laying out the new shop.




Be safe and stay healthy




Jeremy

 

[GregSY]

So the building you are showing is the building you are leaving, right?

 

[Garwood]

Hard to tell exactly from your pictures, but from what you show I would say you don't have 12k sq ft of stuff there. Looks very spread out.

What exactly do you do that justifies that much space? Or is real estate just super cheap in Georgia? Your pictures show a quantity of equipment similar to what I had when I started out renting a 30x40 building.

 

[jermfab]

Yes, all of the pictures in the first post and all the pictures of the truck parked at the dock are from the old building.
You’re correct, I don’t have 12,000 sq. ft. of stuff. I rented out about half of the old shop to artists, craftspeople, anyone in need of semi-industrial space with tools ready to use.
The replacement is 7500 sq. ft. somewhat bigger than the main area I used at the old shop, but 18-2200 of those feet are offices.
The previous owners are still moving out of the new shop and I’m still moving in. The pictures I posted earlier were after three loads, I’ve just finished unloading what I *HOPE* is my halfway point load. I still have most of the equipment left to move, likely lighter and less dense loads, as things like the drill presses, mill and lathe will need to be tied down securely, where I could just pack the other stuff in tight against itself.
Here’s where I’m at tonight:

Be safe and stay healthy





Jeremy

 

[GregSY]

I'm curious that you said your had a partner in all this...I'm assuming that refers to an old-style partner and not the new gay-style partner. Assuming I'm right about that...."Partner" is a term that for me carries a lot of 'red flags'.

I once had a guy (who was shutting down his failed business) sum it up as well as any - he told me "The only kind of ship that don't sail is a partnership..."

So...where's your partner in all this? Is he helping? Or silent? Or?

 

[jermfab]

The partner in question was a SHE. We split and the partnership dissolved. We bought the old building together and incorporated as that was the best way to get financing for the building. She is out of the picture now. It will be me alone on any future ventures.

Basically we bought the original building because the price was too good to pass on... $190k for the shop building on its .6-acre, corner lot, and with its incredibly open zoning, as well as two 1/3-acre residential lots. Aside from the difficulty of getting financing, the deal was a perfect storm for us. The drastic upturn the neighborhood has seen was hardly on the horizon, the Braves were still playing at Turner Field only blocks away and the sellers needed six months to vacate. None of that bothered us, but I’m sure the leaseback terms ran off cash-money investors, as well as preventing an SBA loan, as those require 50% occupancy at closing.

In the first year we owned the building: a house blocks away, under construction when we purchased the building, sold for <$500k and the Braves announced they were leaving Turner Field. Along with the Braves leaving went the draconian non-competition clauses in their contract with the city.

And then Georgia State secured the stadium.

Almost overnight property values skyrocketed and adjacent properties could be more than just parking lots 80 days out of the year.

The entirety of my relationship with my former partner, on every level, was rocky to say the least. When our romantic relationship dissolved it was obvious the business partnership would be close behind. So we set a number and put the building on the market. I’m certain that number could have been higher. We definitely didn’t have a financial reason to sell, it was purely personal. I would have preferred to be a last hold out as opposed to one of the first available properties, but I made enough to buy a suitable replacement outright. All the rest is woulda, shoulda, coulda, as the deal is done.

Any lingering bad taste will eventually dissolve and I think the new building has potential to gain similar value with the development taking place in its proximity.




Be safe and stay healthy






Jeremy

 

[jermfab]

7500 sq. ft. keeps looking smaller and smaller:

I still have the mill and lathe, another drill press, two more bandsaws and a bunch of material to move.

Then comes the fun part. Thankfully most of my equipment moves easily enough, but I’m in total blank slate realm here. I’m planning on getting everything mostly set with temporary power run to it. Hopefully I can get a feel for the flow before I commit and run permanent power to machines. The layout is better than anything I’ve had before, but this shop will have to wear as many hats as I wear. Somehow I’ll have to isolate, as best as possible:

Grinding, sawing and welding fabrication

Wood and plastics fabrication

Machining

Automotive finish work

I’m thinking I’ll do my best to work from dirty/messy (grinding and welding) to clean automotive and hydraulics. Best laid plans stuff.



Stay tuned.




Be safe and stay healthy





Jeremy

 

[jamscal]

How did renting to the artist and maker community go?

We have a few of those places around and I know a few people locally involved in this.

___

My first shop was precast concrete like that. The story was they were making overpasses for the interstate in a nearby field...

The walls all have a good bow cast in so who knows.

 

[john.k]

I can beat the price inflation......my place was 3 acres adjoining the toxic waste dump ....and for years I would'nt even tell people the locality,because it was on the news at least once a week.....I bought it for $12k on the papers,but actually the price included tons of old machinery ,trucks ,dozers ,etc ,and an operational scrap yard...Small ,but perfectly formed ,with an old Osgood crane to load and unload...my boyhood dream ....never had a magnet tho ,too costly .......anyhoo ,fast forward to 2016,and the rezoning,the toxic waste dump is long forgotten,but instead of general industrial ,I get zoned future industry.....a crap zoning requiring a full town planning application ,and restricted to whatever you get development approved for...and following a fight with the council,they hit me with "vegetation protection order"...purely out of spite....no one beats city hall......Anyhoo,new arrivals dont seem to be up with all this ,and are willing to part with a million ,no offers,no argument.....and agree to a 12 month rent free period for my junk.....although the wife isnt too happy about this...to put it mildly......They are Afgans ,and seem to have plenty of money ,running a car & parts export business....

 

[thermite]

Automotive finish work

Guy I bught a used car from had that problem. Most folks who paint do, too.

His paint booth was essentially a building within the building, had a short ton of air-handlery s**t hung on and off it.

Prolly many thousands of them done that way. "Separation" alone surely ain't gonna cut it.. even if you had waaay more space.

Good news is it has all been done so many times arredy there won't be any mystery as to what works and does not work, nor shortage of hardware, new or used.

PM might not be the most active of forums to find the specific info, though.

 

[john.k]

The EPA are always interested in the details of paint booths.....Local council here will charge a $2k a year fee to ease your fears of destroying the planet with VOCs.

 

[thermite]

The EPA are always interested in the details of paint booths.....Local council here will charge a $2k a year fee to ease your fears of destroying the planet with VOCs.

More concerned with destroying my OWN self, my spray gear ain't been used in ages.

Farm it out to (s)he who carries that burden, year 'round - revert to use of brushes and rollers around the shop.

Solves MY problem, anyway. Get far better results as well, "BTW".

 

[donie]

Come om termite, lets see some photos of your shop!
Oh Oh, termite is so special, only carefully screened people can see his shop and work! He has stated "any others" viewing his shop will "go insane and spread outrageous lies"
Come on termite, tell us what its like to be the top forum troll. no photos or threads of your own?
the termite studies do indicate you are heading into another termite spin cycle, and about to go into the drunk hick in the barn talk and start lying about the 1959 Nile lathe and spring cuts again....

 

[jermfab]

How did renting to the artist and maker community go?

We have a few of those places around and I know a few people locally involved in this.

When it worked, it was satisfying. That said, it didn’t work as often as not. Artists tend to be particularly narcissistic. They tend to expect everyone to care as much as they do about whatever they’re working on. Part of my spiel became: “I don’t care WHAT you’re making, so long as it isn’t crystal meth, don’t expect me to and definitely don’t expect me to be so enamored that I let you slide on rent”. Point being, too many of the artist types thought they could get preferential treatment solely by dint of their existence.
Makers were better... at least they tended to live somewhat more in reality. But at the same time I can recount several times helping one of the maker types set up a machine or work through a process to make something far too similar to an already commercially available product. At least they typically factored in the cost and paid rent on time.
The most satisfying of our tenants tended to be startups small businesses lacking in established credit and either unable or unwilling to sign onto the terms typically required by commercial lease terms. Several of these types used our facility as a springboard to solvency. Alternately, more than a few found the shortcomings in their business models. In any case, whether these entities sank or swam, they seemed happy to make those discoveries with us as opposed to some of the vultures out there.
At the end of if, overall the experience was positive. That said, it’s not an experience I plan on replicating after my move. The venture was as close to altruistic as I’ve ever considered and the the experience allowed me own the replacement building outright. I plan on being a little more selfish for the next while.




Be safe and stay healthy




Jeremy