Want to rehab a building.

[sgrizzle]

I am helping a group considering buying an old barrel-roof furniture store and fixing it up. The intended purpose is for a church. Recent tenants have put in a drop ceiling and then later added a midget-sized second floor. They are wondering about restoring the exposed brick and barrel roof.

This building is far from "nationally historic" but is there any assistance for this kind of restoration out there?

Anyone preservation minded who could provide GC, engineering, or random advice for free/cheap?

[Conan71]

Really no suggestions, other than they might want to reconsider and rent something rather than to get into a money pit.

We can talk about it Friday at lunch.

[sgrizzle]

$10 per sqft

[Conan71]

Not a bad deal unless the upkeep will eat them alive.

[jdb]

Would an $8K gas bill in Feb. cause anyone to flinch?

Drop ceilings are ugly and not so cheap themselves, probably went in due to gas bills, then respectability, right?

I could care less about helping a church: but buildings are someting know a litle about so shoot me a location of the site and I'll see what I know and report back.

jdb

[daddys little squirt]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

I am helping a group considering buying an old barrel-roof furniture store and fixing it up. The intended purpose is for a church. Recent tenants have put in a drop ceiling and then later added a midget-sized second floor. They are wondering about restoring the exposed brick and barrel roof.

This building is far from "nationally historic" but is there any assistance for this kind of restoration out there?

Anyone preservation minded who could provide GC, engineering, or random advice for free/cheap?

I know that building. It was previously furniture stores. The drop ceiling and the second floor are hideous and dangerous. They need to be taken out. I frankly am surprised that they passed any building inspection. It does appear that the building itself is worthy.

[sgrizzle]

That building (Raw wood furniture) isn't going to pan out. The realtor sold the neighboring building and gave them more of the shared parking lot than he thought. New owners put up a barb-wire fence rendering the parking lot basically unusable. That and the fact they seemed to have no clue where the A/C units were (they were gone) didn't help.

If anyone knows of any fixer uppers that aren't money pits, send me a note.