Topic: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

Okay - so, many of you know that I rent "some" space in my shop. I even have a bit of a wait list for said space.... That said, I am considering expanding into a much, much larger space. I wanted to feel out the possibilities before I dig too deep into the idea.

In a nutshell - I would create a bit of a "tech shop" for cars under one HUGE roof, with 24/7 access. Not limited to Lemons teams - any car related thing is fine... spec e30?, Spec Miata, your shitty project car you bought on craigslist with a dream of restoring.... in 25 years. Basically, I just don't want someone starting a worm farm, massage parlor, dog fighting ring....... This isn't a place for you to do your day job out of - but to escape that job whenever you want and be dirty.

Amenities as follows:

1. There will be rental "bays" within the shop, with different sizes available from just a team wanting to store a car, to a full on workshop.
    - each space will be plumbed into common shop air
    - each space will have 220v for welders / etc.
    - there will be wifi

You will be able to rent a 20' shipping container (conex) to store your tools / gear / etc in your space and lock it up.

There will be oil / tire recycling on site for a fee
There will be garbage/recycling on site for a fee

2. There will be community equipment available to sign out / check out such as:
    - 2/4 post lifts
    - Welders
    - Plasma Cutters
    - Tube benders / cage building tools
    - Tool crib with specialty hand tools

3. There will be outside storage for RV's, Trailers, Tow pigs that don't fit inside your rental space

4. We will mount / balance tires on site - for similar prices as tire rack, or a little less (but you will have to pre-order tires)

5. We will have a store that carries many of the things you need to build a basic Lemons car. It will be open late on weekdays and weekends.
    - plumbing / fittings for racing fuel systems
    - Switches, wire
    - Exhaust stuff
    - Oil / filters and such
    - anything you can get from Summit Racing / etc...

6. We will offer some basic classes, and some advanced classes in things like
    - basic fabrication / welding
    - bodywork / paint
    - How to not be a dick

7. Vending machines... possible coffee shop, biergarten... event space?

8. There will also be secure indoor storage bays for finished / running / driving street cars at a reasonable price

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SO - NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!
as I feel this out as a viable business (yes, I actually want to MAKE money off your sorry asses - or at least break even)
a few questions:

1. How many bay area teams are interested in relocating your sorry ass collection of junk that is in 8 different places, into one awesome shop?

2. Is the idea of a membership (outside of your rental space) to use tools, lifts, classes, etc... appealing to you? (memberships would be individual, not team based) and would $100 - $150 a month be a price you can live with?

3. How much would you expect to pay for a 20x30 space (600 SF) which is bigger than a 2 car garage

4. How many of you are interested in RV / Trailer / Tow pig storage.

5. Any other ideas?


You can simply reply to this post - or email me directly at geoff@alloymotors.com
- If you email me, please be so kind to put "tech shop for cars" in the subject line.

The idea would be to kick this off in the next 4-6 mos - maybe 8.



-Geoff

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

Crap - I forgot, Location would be in West Oakland - near emeryville - right near Bay Bridge / 880 / 580 / 80 interchanges

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

[puts hand up]
2- probably no
3- $100-$150
4- yes, trailer
5- this is awesome

Bert One - 1981 Volvo 262c Bertone | Ernie - 1990 Nissan 240SX

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

1. Very interested, depending on cost of course.
2. Membership to use tools and whatnot could be good for some, but not really for me. Id like the option of using a lift or a welder if needed, but an hourly fee might make more sense.
3. A few hundred bucks would be great. Keep storage costs to a minimum and charge extra for lift use as required. Alternatively provide a higher cost option that includes all the goodies.
4. We don't have a trailer, but the option of extra space is great.
5. Great idea, and I would love to see it happen.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

Only a few hand raisers so far..... but, good to get some info!

The cost for rental space inside would likely be closer to the $0.80 - $1.00 a Square foot range - Maybe a bit more depending on final details such as insurance, power costs. It is after all, the bay area - and even at $1 a square foot, that would be competitive to most warehouse space. My current space is a steal, but times they are a changin', hence the reason I am looking....

Outside trailer / RV space less....

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

I'm starting to put a team together so this is good timing, either for a Lemons team or personal projects.

1. Very interested.
2. Depends on what's provided. Options for just space or space with tools/equipment would be great. You're prices are in the right ball-park.
3. A few hundred, probably not $600/mo for 600 sq/ft.
4. Not much interest here.
5. 24/7 access is essential (I would use a space like this after work or on weekends) and the ability to make normal workshop noise during this time would be great if not essential. Start simple and build it up, maybe just start with work-spaces then expand with tools/equipment/classes.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

I have been around Lemons as team Dad for Faster Farms for a long time and am finally building a car. I am interested in your proposal because I want my garage back. I also have the most badass machine shop (www.peridotcorp.com) with laser cutters, press brakes etc for fab work.

1. How many bay area teams are interested in relocating your sorry ass collection of junk that is in 8 different places, into one awesome shop? IN
2. Is the idea of a membership (outside of your rental space) to use tools, lifts, classes, etc... appealing to you? (memberships would be individual, not team based) and would $100 - $150 a month be a price you can live with? MEH
3. How much would you expect to pay for a 20x30 space (600 SF) which is bigger than a 2 car garage ??
4. How many of you are interested in RV / Trailer / Tow pig storage. Possible
5. Any other ideas?

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

alloyG wrote:

Crap - I forgot, Location would be in West Oakland - near emeryville - right near Bay Bridge / 880 / 580 / 80 interchanges

As an aside, did you look into space on the Island That Rust Forgot - on the base - perhaps closer to Faction/Hangar One/Rock Wall -  to better combine the wrenching/beering/swilling?

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

This is definitely something I'd consider.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

fleming95 wrote:
alloyG wrote:

Crap - I forgot, Location would be in West Oakland - near emeryville - right near Bay Bridge / 880 / 580 / 80 interchanges

As an aside, did you look into space on the Island That Rust Forgot - on the base - perhaps closer to Faction/Hangar One/Rock Wall -  to better combine the wrenching/beering/swilling?


Would be cool - But this whole thing moves my business as well,  which I really want to keep in West Oakland..... but certainly not out of the realm of possibility when the looking gets serious.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

gus wrote:

I'm starting to put a team together so this is good timing, either for a Lemons team or personal projects.

1. Very interested.
2. Depends on what's provided. Options for just space or space with tools/equipment would be great. You're prices are in the right ball-park.
3. A few hundred, probably not $600/mo for 600 sq/ft.
4. Not much interest here.
5. 24/7 access is essential (I would use a space like this after work or on weekends) and the ability to make normal workshop noise during this time would be great if not essential. Start simple and build it up, maybe just start with work-spaces then expand with tools/equipment/classes.


Memberships would be only for those who want / need it.... lifts / tools would be located in a separate manned area and lift time / tool time would be booked in advance....

24/7 access to any rental / storage space will certainly be part of the deal.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

1. Definitely interested even though my whole collection is in my garage and West Oakland would probably be a huge pain to get to.
2. Definitely so long as it was on a month-to-month basis.
3. $600 seems about right. We rent a 10x30 storage for about $400.
4. Nope
5. 1) Key things for us would be fab tools like tubing benders, plasma cutters, welders, etc.Those are hard to justify spending good money on to buy, so it's kind of kept us from doing things we'd like to.
5. 2) I'd love to see classes available. This feels very TechShop but for gear heads. I had joined TechShop for a number of reasons, but was saddened by their lack of good auto related tools and 0 auto related classes.

One other issue I have is there's already a business similar to this in Santa Clara, which is FAR closer to me being in south San Jose. That said, they don't have fabrication tools nor do they do classes, BYOTools, or a lot of what you're talking about. I will say that I love going there to use the lift vs crawling under the car.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

For 21 yrs I was renting an 8100 sf building in Burlingame. I ran my Auto repair and vehicle storage business out of there. At the end I was charging $175 p/m minimum for a standard indoor car  space. More for oversized vehicles, based on sf of floor coverage. Outdoors was $75 p/m. I know that rents are way less on that side of the bay which is in your favor, but insurance can get tricky.
  I moved the repair business 10 yrs ago but kept the vehicle storage business & my personal hobby shop in that location. I looked into setting up a hobby shop like you stated but the combination of lowering the number of customers, so if one didn't pay it would be harder to make rent, liability, safety & security concerns stopped me. So I kept the car storage there  and all was good until last year when the landlord passed away & the heirs started to bicker. I do like your idea of the lockable containers but there are a lot of considerations, PM me if you would like to speak further.

Tired Iron Racing, Class A Winner of 2023 Days of Thunder & the Hooptie-Con Engine heat Cooking Competition, otherwise just a 50x loser, which is somehow able to finish in the top ten, if we don't step on our own dicks.

Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

skivittlerjimb wrote:

[puts hand up]
2- probably no
3- $100-$150
4- yes, trailer
5- this is awesome

$100-$150/mo for 600sf seems impossible even to someone from Ohio. That's not even self storage rates, and you're talking a space with utilities and services that's weather tight and lit and secure. A 20x30 unit would be ~$450/mo here and that's raw rough unlit space with no work allowed to happen inside, just storage. $600/mo sounds about right as a starting point, more amenities = more cost. Add the California tax and that seems really cheap.

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Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

dculberson wrote:
skivittlerjimb wrote:

[puts hand up]
2- probably no
3- $100-$150
4- yes, trailer
5- this is awesome

$100-$150/mo for 600sf seems impossible even to someone from Ohio. That's not even self storage rates, and you're talking a space with utilities and services that's weather tight and lit and secure. A 20x30 unit would be ~$450/mo here and that's raw rough unlit space with no work allowed to happen inside, just storage. $600/mo sounds about right as a starting point, more amenities = more cost. Add the California tax and that seems really cheap.

This

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Re: CA bay area teams - testing an idea of rental workspace for teams

I'm going to close this one. I think you have the feedback you need.

Anyone interested in rental space contact the OP directly.