Strikeforce:Space

• To root through the different ways we can raise money for our space, where that space should be, and any constraints to our operations. This Strikeforce will examine all the numbers and all the options in order to create a clearer picture of the possibilities for everyone else.
• Leader: Jay
• Members: Mak, A. Michael, Ron, Jay, Courtney, G Mike, Justin
• Status: Looking at fund-raising possibilities, to find out what we can afford.

Various Income Suggestions

• Free shirt with a new member sign up ( cost ~$20 )
• More merchandise options like Hats, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, pins, patches, pens, lanyards, etc
• Sell merchandise at more events like Comicon, Jimcon, secret handshake, etc.
  • This would be easier with things that aren't purely promotional
• More donation drives!! Each hackathon set a goal and aim to hit it! ( insert giant thermometer here )
• Partnerships with RRC, U of W, etc as a place for talks to happen that is off campus.
• More corporate type / level donations
• Make personal work/storage space available for a fee
  • (Storage would be above and beyond the small normal member project storage area, of course)

New Location Estimates

An informal brainstorm on the time and money it would take to move to a new location. This space would likely be one of the following:

• Cheap warehousing, with the requirement that we build our own walls and do our own electrical
• Expensive finished space
• Overly-expensive, small, dedicated office spaces without 24/7 access or with strange rules

Step 1: Begin Looking for Space

Estimate: 0-12 hours

Notes:

• Time totally depends on how quickly we find a space. We could find a space almost immediately or it may take us weeks/months. 3-12 hours is an estimate given a week of considering spaces; 0 if we take the space we've already found.

Step 2: SkullSpace Discussion/Vote; Deal with Landlord

Estimate: 15-20 hours

Notes:

• Time to thoroughly discuss and hear proposals, announce proposals and set a vote date, hold vote
• Sign paperwork with landlord, set up method of payment for rent, discussion with landlord

Step 3: Develop/Approve New Floor Plan

Estimate: 4-15 hours

Notes:

• If the new space is an open space with pillars, we would need to measure it and draft a CAD plan
• Lengthy discussion of how we should divide space for which room, which "services" we would provide (lounge? classroom? dark room?)
• Presentation of floor plans and vote by membership

Step 4: Move to New Space

Estimate: 60-120 hours

Notes:

• This is a very rough estimate. This is assuming we have five dedicated people who will each move stuff for between two and five eight-hour days.
• Allow $200 for getting some kind of large truck/trailer to move things
• Allow 6 hours and three dump trips @ $11/trip to dispose of materials that we deem as trash or that we otherwise need to dispose of, such as furniture, etc.
  • Or leave what we don't need at the old space
• Are we able to negotiate early access with the new landlord to begin moving stuff in before we have to pay? The current landlord did not allow this so we need to at least consider that for one month we may have a double-rent issue, where we're paying our current rent and the rent at the new location. Allow $1000 as a conservative estimate for this.

Step 5: Remove Networking/Data/Security Lines, for Use at New Location

Estimate: 20 hours

Notes:

• All CAT5 currently in the space and the server room
• Door entry equipment from door frames and data lines for them
• Allow $200 if we need to get our own software to operate the door access system; currently we are using AssentWorks' software

Step 6: Insurance/Paperwork Updating

Estimate: 3 hours

Step 7: Occupancy/Building Permits

Estimate: 5 hours Notes:

• Do we go the "legal" route and obtain permits, or do it on the fly to save money?
• We would need to apply, submit printed plans to the city, and pay for permits
• Allow at least $200 for both permits as a conservative estimate

Step 8: Build New Space to Suit

Estimate: 85-265 hours Notes:

• A very rough estimate again because we don't know where we're going. It may be an open space needing walls and electrical and heat distribution, or we may take over a space with existing rooms that we somehow make do with
• Construction of walls, deletion of walls we don't want, modifying of existing walls, running electrical in walls estimated at 10-100 hours, and $0-3000, with a much higher (estimate a few thousand more) number than $3000 if we require a professional electrician to do the work
• Distribution of heat? Installation of baseboard heaters? Ducting? Estimate included in note about walls above
• Wiring of new door access control hardware and system. Estimate 15-20 hours
• Lighting may be required if it doesn't suit our needs, or if we build new rooms. Estimate 0-80 hours and $0-1000 if we do the work (running cabling, installing) and estimate more if an electrician is required to do the work
• Installation of new networking cables/data lines. Estimate 60 hours. Colin has stated that if we move he won't be eager to do this work and won't do it alone.
• Installation of electronic strike/access control at outside door. Estimate $800-1000. This is what it cost for us to get the door at 125 Adelaide modified to use an electric strike, and we split the cost with AssentWorks. We can't take it with us if we were to move
• Set up internet access. Estimate 5 hours if we do the work. We have no idea if the building we get into has a direct line of sight to VOI's towers, or even if we could relocate our internet to the new location. We may require a tower on the roof again and that is subject to the new landlord's approval.

Total

Grand total estimate: 194-460 hours, $1000-$6600

Conclusions

The dollar estimate assumes at the low end we have to get a truck and a new front door. The high end assumes all costs, that we have to extensively renovate the new space, obtain permits, software for doors, etc. Likely, the real number is somewhere in the middle of this estimate. Already, we are into step one, where we are now looking for space

Keeping Our Current Location

This proposal is no longer active. We're gone as of 12:00am, Dec 1st.

Numbers

• About $750-$1500 for previous electrical bills, plus old rent level?
• 10-20 hours to remove a few sets of doors and insulate some walls
• $1000-$1200 for a proper electrical metering solution that splits the cost between AssentWorks and SkullSpace
• We'd only be there for three months before leaving anyway

Total

Grand total estimate to stay: 10-20 hours, $1750-$2700

374 Donald

• Actually is Doran
• A rare find: finished space, and fairly large, for a fairly cheap price
• Two washrooms, a shower, good kitchen space, new windows, good lighting, right beside Yellow Dog Tavern
• We may need to find a way to monetize some of the space for a year or two, until our membership expands enough to own it without problems.

Step 1: Begin Looking for Space

Yeah, we found it.

Step 2: SkullSpace Discussion/Vote; Deal with Landlord

Estimate: 15-20 hours

Notes:

• Time to thoroughly discuss and hear proposals, announce proposals and set a vote date, hold vote
• Sign paperwork with landlord, set up method of payment for rent, discussion with landlord
• We haven't gotten anything more than boilerplate, at this point. We need to find out if directors are liable, in order to justify the risk.

Step 3: Develop/Approve New Floor Plan

Estimate: 1-3 hours

Notes:

• We cannot alter the existing walls, so hanging walls or standalone walls will be had.
• Lengthy discussion of how we should divide space for which room, which "services" we would provide (lounge? classroom? dark room?)
• Presentation of floor plans and vote by membership

Step 4: Move to New Space

Estimate: 60-120 hours

Notes:

• This is a very rough estimate. This is assuming we have five dedicated people who will each move stuff for between two and five eight-hour days.
• Allow $200 for getting some kind of large truck/trailer to move things
• Allow 6 hours and three dump trips @ $11/trip to dispose of materials that we deem as trash or that we otherwise need to dispose of, such as furniture, etc.
  • Or leave what we don't need at the old space
• Are we able to negotiate early access with the new landlord? We need to be out by the end of November, so we're going to need that week to start moving stuff in.

Step 5: Remove Networking/Data/Security Lines, for Use at New Location

Estimate: 20 hours

Notes:

• All CAT5 currently in the space and the server room
• Door entry equipment from door frames and data lines for them
• Allow $200 if we need to get our own software to operate the door access system; currently we are using AssentWorks' software

Step 6: Insurance/Paperwork Updating

Estimate: 3 hours

Step 7: Occupancy/Building Permits

Estimate: 5 hours Notes:

• Do we go the "legal" route and obtain permits, or do it on the fly to save money?
• There's really not much to do with building, so what's necessary?

Step 8: Build New Space to Suit

Estimate: 10-40 hours Notes:

• Construction of standalone or hanging walls
• Running electrical in walls? Extension cords? Could work
• We have all the raw material we need already at the old space
• Wiring of new door access control hardware and system. Estimate 15-20 hours
  • Installation of electronic strike/access control at outside door. Estimate $800-1000. This is what it cost for us to get the door at 125 Adelaide modified to use an electric strike, and we split the cost with AssentWorks. We can't take it with us if we were to move
  • We will probably do these after a few months, as funds allow
• Installation of new networking cables/data lines. Estimate 60 hours. Colin has stated that if we move he won't be eager to do this work and won't do it alone.
• Set up internet access. Estimate 5 hours if we do the work. We have no idea if the building we get into has a direct line of sight to VOI's towers, but we should have approval to install a tower on the roof.

Total

Grand total estimate: xxx-yyy hours, $aaaa-$bbbb

• Just... add the stuff above, when time permits

Conclusions

The moving costs aren't prohibitive, but we have to look carefully at the lease. If we can get it at $2000/month, which seems pretty likely, we should be able to squeeze it into our budget. If we got it for such a low price, we must expect that it would rise to $2200/month or $2500/month after the lease ends. It's well within or capacity, though, if we work hard throughout the lease to increase membership levels and discover other opportunities for funding.