Finding space
 

Our team has struggled with school support and worked off-site in a basement for our first two years. We're now losing this space and trying to find somewhere new to work. Can anyone share some experience on this? Maybe somewhere to look we may not have thought of? Thanks.

Re: Finding space
 

Try to find a sponsor that would let you use their space. For example, my teams meets at a tool and die shop in the area, we have since the team started.

Re: Finding space
 

We were able to find vacant warehouse space for three years. We worked with a local commercial realtor to identify potential properties and then approached the owners.

A few important points:
1) You need to have liability insurance
2) You may need to contribute to the building's utility costs
3) A written and executed agreement between the team and the property owner is a good idea
4) The above suggests that the team needs to be a legal entity
5) You need to be ready to move out quickly is a buyer or lessor appears

Hope this helps.

Re: Finding space
 

We contacted like two dozen realtors and property developers in our area and got a space eventually. We emphasized how urgent our move was and the level of support they'd be giving us and eventually one bit. I can go into more detail if you have specific questions.

Re: Finding space
 

We built our Robots and had our entire program in the Local Masons Lodge for years. We still partner with the Masons, and hold Meetings and our Summer Programs there, after moving our primary build space back to the high school. Try partnering with some non-profits as well. If your meeting off school grounds, look into 4-H for program support and insurance coverage.

Re: Finding space
 

Not sure how helpful this will be if you don't have school support, but when my team's main sponsor moved locations (where we used to build) our school let us use two of their classrooms as a temporary build space. I think losing two classrooms was better in their minds than losing the whole team because we had nowhere to build.

Re: Finding space
 

We have a similar space problem, how big of a space did you end up receiving, and about how long did it take to receive the space (we pretty much have all of the offseason to acquire one)? Are you paying for utilities/rent or anything of the sort? Thank you for your help!

Re: Finding space
 

Talk to your local library. Our city library has been incredibly generous to us and have been very excited to partner with us. They already had a mandate to promote STEM and find more ways to be relevant to increasingly book-shy teenagers, so this is a perfect match. Our library offers us the use of their community meeting room, that we have used for everything that's not fab/shop related.

So where do you set up your shop? Well, libraries also have community contacts...

Re: Finding space
 

I'm fortunate that we haven't had to fight this battle, but I can offer some insight on #1: Get in touch with a local insurance agent. When we started SCRIW, we had to get a policy on the field because AndyMark didn't provide it at the time. I called every insurance company with a website and got blank stares. Eventually, I asked the owner of the car dealership I worked at who his insurance was through and he passed along a contact that got us up and running*.

Granted, this task is probably more common...but you're going to get questions, and it's best when you can pick up the phone and call someone to answer them.

*One of the questions we got was how we intended to secure the field overnight at the school. You and I know the size of an FRC field, but they didn't--they thought we were going to be out on the running track, not inside the lockable gymnasium!

Re: Finding space
 

Thanks for the replies everyone. To expand on our situation a bit:

- Finding space within the school is out of the question. The basketball coach recently quit due to his frustration with lack of space, and our influence is nowhere near theirs. We're also planning to de-affiliate with the school as they take a 10% cut of the donations we receive.

- We're looking for a place suitable for keeping shop machines. The industrial realtor idea sounds good and we'll look into it.

Re: Finding space
 

As you are asking local businesses and real estate companies, remember to ask them who they know that might provide you with another contact or two. Networking (getting a personal referral to someone who can really help you), is often the best way to accomplish something like this.

Re: Finding space
 

Some teams have found space in strip malls and shopping centers. If there is a lot of empty retail space around look into that as an option.

Re: Finding space
 

We got a response after about two weeks. After that was another two weeks to see if it worked out, then we moved into a space. The same day, they told us that space wouldn't work (they didn't understand the scope of our program). We then were in limbo for a week or two, looked at one of their other properties which wasn't ready, and then finally moved to the space we've been all season. It's not very big, not much bigger than a small school classroom for our shop/lab and then the rest are small rooms for other parts of the team. The realtor generously pays utilities, we/the school pay internet. No rent.