One Star Realty – Part 2

We recently shared about our work on a commercial property in Grapevine, TX. Before this renovation, the building was an eyesore on Main St. in Grapevine, an area known for its charm and appeal. It’s gratifying to take something once thought ugly and turn it into a thing of value and use.

Just as rewarding as making an eyesore beautiful was the opportunity to find and solve problems.  One of the things we’re most passionate about in our work is finding and eliminating problems before they have a chance to surface for our clients.  This project had quite a few problems waiting to be found.

Technical Issues:

While we drew out the plans for both phases of the building, the plan was for construction to happen in two parts.  This was a great solution for the financial aspect of the building, but made things a little tricky when it come to creating construction documents.  The larger building had major foundation settlement issues, causing the north side to be nearly eight inches higher than the south.  The CMU Block walls were not braced properly.  The foundation issues also caused the steel structure of the building to be twisted, breaking some of the major column-to-beam connections holding up the roof.

Anyone who has invested in a commercial property knows that two big concerns in determining a building’s value and return on investment are the foundation and the integrity of the structure.  When these things are not sound, it can be an issue of concern for an investor.  In some instances, however, these issues can be fixed, especially when a building has a location as prime as this one.

The issues in this building were able to be fixed with careful planning and construction, but it did require strategic thinking.  Under the concrete slab of the building were several plumbing leaks that had eroded the supporting soil of the building.  This required the entire building to be underpinned with a Portland cement slurry to maintain constant bearing strata.  Because of this settling in the foundation, the roof had become like a large bowl where rain water would sit for extended periods of time, causing excessive load and warping of the structure.

In a nutshell, the building had horrible foundation issues and the roof leaked, very badly.

Project Scope

For everyone involved, this building offered enough promise to move forward and create plans for renovating it into a profitable retail space.  Its prime location on Main Street and its large size meant it could hold several new retail suites that would allow for public foot traffic to encounter the building up close. The building would also have room for additional retail shops off the main traffic path that would be a little more intimate for the intentional shopper.

Behind the retail suites was an additional space that could be used for professional offices and meeting rooms.  This dual function provided more chances for the space to generate income for the investors of the property.  When you combine this income potential with the building’s prime location, it’s easy to see why the investors were so eager to see it renovated and not torn down.  As a result of some creative problem finding and solving, the plans were completed and drawings were released for construction.

Here is a breakdown of what came out of our work for this project:

• 8 retail suites
• 16 executive offices
• 2 public/kitchen break rooms
• 1-3 small rentable conference rooms
• 6-10 future rentable storage spaces
• Site mailbox facility
• 2 sets of restrooms

When you consider where this project started, it’s pretty amazing to see the results.  We’re really proud of this space, but even more grateful for the way it has benefited Grapevine’s Main Street.  Would you like to learn more about our work with commercial properties?  You can visit our portfolio http://wcadesignstudio.com/portfolio/heritage-trace-office-building/ or set up a free initial appointment with us by calling 806.702.8969.