*** July 9th Update: All our Open Studios slots are filled. ***
Want to participate in SF Open Studios 2013 and need a space to show your work? Apply here to show at SHARED.
Please keep in mind the various ArtSpan Registration deadlines: July 1 and September 9. Once accepted to show at SHARED you will need to register with ArtSpan.
Spaces available:
Nine spaces 9’x9′ in the shared work-space. $150 for the weekend.
And two spaces 10’x10′ in the meeting room. $225 for the weekend.
We’re in the home stretch. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we’re almost there and have an open date: Friday March 1st.
The cabinets have been installed and the counter-tops templated. Now we’re waiting on the counter-top fabrication. Once the counter-tops are installed we can install all the new plumbing fixtures (sinks, faucets, etc.)
In the meantime, we’re installing the interior glass – a couple doors and interior windows to make the space more light and airy.
The lockers have arrived. The new lighting we ordered should be here soon.
To see how far the space has come, below are a couple work-in-progress shots of the second floor coworking space from November 2012 and January 2013.
We’ll be having various opening events that are FREE and open to the public: Happy Drawing Hour (Friday, March 1, 4-7pm) and Sew Good (Saturday, March 2, 1-4pm).
The new cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms are here. The lockers and chairs have been ordered. The new lighting fixtures are on their way. We’ve replaced the sprinkler heads with new ones.
We’ve hit a little snag in our schedule though. The floors aren’t ready yet and we can’t paint the walls until the floors are finished. This means we can’t install the cabinets because we need the walls painted first.
The wood floor is coming along. We’ve sanded and patched the original wood. The staining and sealing is going slower that planned because of the rain, which makes each layer dry more slowly. It should be done this week though.
We’ve been having trouble getting the concrete floor re-finished. Hopefully it will be done next week. Think good thoughts for the concrete floor.
We’re aiming to open mid-December and have some Trial-Time slots open so people can come try out the space. We’re also planning some events/workshops for those looking for a creative distraction from the consuming during the holiday season.
Work has started and is going well. By mid-November the space should be presentable enough for people to come by again for tours.
Membership application materials are available now on the website.
A couple photos of the space-in-progress. We are starting to remove things that we don’t want such as the carpet. Here’s a shot of a pile of said carpet.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the wood floor underneath is in decent condition. This means we will try to refinish the floor instead of putting in new carpet.
Today I become the owner of 739 Bryant Street, a two-story concrete and steel building between 5th and 6th Streets in San Francisco. If you have never bought commercial property or property at all, you may not fully understand what a feat it is to have a sale finally close. Even I don’t know all the intricacies involved, but I will share a bit of what I know.
The number of days to close a commercial property sale gives you an indicator of the complexity. For a regular residential property, the sale can close in 30 days. A commercial property usually takes 75. Seventy-five days ago I didn’t really understand why it needed to take that long. Looking back, I can see that even 75 days is a bit tight.
First, during the Due Diligence period, there are many more inspections and items to consider. That phase we made it through on schedule.
Second, we needed to secure financing. I am lucky to have been able to apply for a SBA (Small Business Administration) 504 loan. These loans are for small business owners to purchase property for their business. I may not agree with how our government spends all of our money, but I am thankful for this program. The SBA provides a portion of the funds needed and a bank provides the rest. This means that there are two lenders, who each have their own requirements and restrictions. Meeting everyone’s needs and coordinating all the reports and paperwork was challenging. We had to ask for an extension for this phase TWICE.
Despite the delay during the financing phase, everyone worked extra hard and we were still able to close the sale on time.
I’d like to thank some key members on the team:
Many more people have helped along the way. Thank you for all your support. Now let’s get on to the fun stuff.
739 Bryant is going to be the home of my latest project: Shared – a shared work space for creative people. Over the next few months, we will be doing some minor renovations. I’m hoping to open in December.
I’m inviting all of you to come see the space before we actually start doing the work. Now is the time to give me some feedback about what you want in a shared work space. I will be showing the space on Tuesday, September 18th 2pm, 4pm, and 7pm. Please let me know what time you are coming – marilyn@shared-sf.com. Feel free to invite friends.
The website is up and there’s a FaceBook page (please “Like” us). Membership rates and forms to apply are up on the website. You may also apply for a discounted membership rate. The discounts are limited, so get your application in early if you want to get one.
I am really excited about Shared and I hope you are too. See you on Sept 18th.
marilyn