Difference between revisions of "Field Trips/5 Points Workshop"

Revision as of 15:55, 20 April 2011

From various notes on the 5Pts Shop:

The 5pts shop including the loft is 4012 sqft (costing $850/mo). 1st Floor is 2660 sqft, Loft is 1352 sqft. It is larger than our current shop. It could eat our shop and still have room.

There is A/C and heat in the office. There is a small kitchen area. 2 bathrooms. There is also a sink in the loft. One of the bathrooms has a shower. There is no A/C/ heating unit in the actual warehouse area. But the current tenant says he was using a kerosene heater. We may be able to even negotiate this issue. Another con is a lack of insulation which could offset the savings in rent, but we can get a history of utility bills to assess that. (Note: Spacefelix; landlord stated on 4/19 tour that the office area was insulated to at least R-19, but the garage area was uninsulated)

Tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, 4/19/11) we will be meeting at the current shop, at 6:30 pm, to take a field trip to the newly proposed shop (414 Stevens Ave, Huntsville, AL 35801, Yellowish Warehouse on the corner of Schiffmann and Stevens). Afterwards there will be a vote. I want to personally encourage everyone to come out and see the new place, as I feel the pictures don't really do it justice.

This is something that has to happen rather quickly. There is a meeting Wednesday afternoon 4/20/11 with our current landlord and we need to know how people feel. There will also be a short discussion after the vote, if this passes, to determine if there is any kind of sweet-spot-deal to stay where we are. That is, if the current landlord wants to negotiate much lower than what we are paying now.

Previously did a field trip on 4/9. General assessment was that there would be work required to repair the driveway, loft structure and general cleanup. But otherwise, the bigger space and lower cost was a plus.

Directions to 5 Points Workshop:

• From 565 (going East or West) exit to Oakwood Avenue.
• Turn South to Andrew Jackson Way (intersects Oakwood immediately East of intersection of 565 and Oakwood).
• Turn West to Stevens Ave.
• Arrive at intersection of Schiffmann and Stevens.

Photographs of Shop:

• MrFranceIsBacon's Photos
• JimShoe's Photos

Financial Analysis

• 203 Brown Street Shop - Cost per Month Analysis
  • Based on Bills in 2010, Average Per Month Consumption:
    • $5.29 in water
    • $61.85 in gas
    • $105.87 in electricity
    • $70.49 in cable/internet
    • $27.08 in insurance
    • $270.58 is Total per Month
• 5 Points Shop - Cost per Month Analysis/Estimates

An estimate on the operating costs of the shop; assuming only the office, kitchen and lobby are heated and cooled (total of ~479 sqft), and at 0.5 cents/BTU/month and 24 BTUs to heat/cool 1 sqft, makes for $57.48/mo. Given the warehouse is uninsulated and will be cooled by a vent fan (currently 700 watts) or spot heated by personal space heaters (~1500 watts per person, assuming 3 people inside the garage in the winter) for 32 hours out of the week. We are looking at the most a ~$25/mo heating cost in the winter in the garage area. From historical billing data on the 203 Brown Street shop, we are looking at ~$50/mo to operate lights and gear. Assuming this value is the same for the 5 Points Location, we are looking at an operating cost of $135/mo. At a conservative estimate, per the proceedings of the 4/19 Move Meeting, the 5 Points operating costs can be assumed to be the same as the 203 Brown Street operating costs.