[Noisebridge-discuss] space report: 83C Wiese

[Andy Isaacson]

Inspired by Tuesday's meeting, Shannon and I scheduled a viewing for a
newly listed space today.  It was very positive, and we're scheduled for
a re-visit at 1:00 tomorrow, Friday 9/25.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/off/853914124.html
(note that the last photo on this post is of a different unit.)

http://web.hexapodia.org/~adi/pix/200809-83c-weise/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60801485@N00/sets/72157607497772735/


The space is a ground-floor loft space that's literally 200 feet from
16th/Mission BART.  The front door opens on Weise St, the very first
tiny alley branching north off of 16th St west of Mission St.  The
building is 4 commercial lofts, two ground level + two above.

The space consists of two levels.  The ground floor is about 30'x30'
wall-to-wall, but the bathroom and a built-out room and a utility locker
(not part of the space, PG&E access from the street) take up a
significant chunk.  The floor is tile over concrete, and there's major
tile damage that the landlord says will be fixed "this weekend".  The
loft is about 30'x12' and carpeted.

The landlord seems incredibly cool.  "What do they do upstairs?"  "As
long as the rent gets paid I don't ask questions."  "We'd like to put in
card access."  "It's your space, do what you want."  "We don't have
papers yet."  "It's fine for individuals to sign the lease... it is no
problem to transfer to the corporation once it exists."

There are three spaces:
 - the big downstairs room, 30'x20' (plus bathroom and kitchen)
 - a smaller downstairs "fishbowl" room, 10'x12' approx + closet
 - the upstairs loft, 30'x15', shoji sliding screens + closets

The upside:
 - electric service looks solid, I counted 8 20A breakers + 1 30A
 - kitchenette with electric stove, dorm fridge (stocked with Guiness!)
 - ventilation to roof from stove (easily extended to a fume hood or
   machine room)
 - lots of leftover startup wiring, we probably want to tear it all out
   and start over (eventually)
 - lots of room for presentations
 - 4 closets total (big, too); lots of nook and cranny storage space
 - "bike cubbyhole" near door
 - bathroom + shower (drain in middle of floor, ghetto but workable)
 - private entrance, we can do our own access control
 - incredibly convenient to BART and food and fun

The downside:
 - small, only 1ksf or so -- I'd be much happier with 1500.
 - not very much isolation; you'd have a hard time having a workshop
   upstairs while a presentation was happening downstairs.
 - front door opens on Wiese St, which is a crackhead urinal.
 - space opens directly out front door; crackhead theater in the street
   sounds very nearby.
 - space apparently has flooding problems (flooded in big rain in 200x)

The landlord would like to move fast; if we give her a check for the
deposit before the beginning of next week she'll knock $100 off the
rent.

-andy