Final Project- The Sip House

Restoring and Converting Historical Buildings in Jersey City to Affordable Studio and Gallery Space.

Jersey City Abandoned Building Statistics:

The head count of abandoned buildings in Jersey City is about 900. Meaning that at least 2 buildings on almost  every street are abandoned!

This creates major problems for the city

• Fires started by trespassers
• Drug deals
• Injuries to trespassers then leading to first responders risking injury by going into unstable buildings
• Overall lowering neighborhoods property values and standards of living.

LOOKING AHEAD

Only positive things can come out of restoring these abandoned buildings to useable functioning space. Historical buildings will be saved and will automatically improve communities. By turning some of these buildings into galleries and art studios it will bring a lot of culture back into neighborhoods. Young fresh faces will move in and take pride in the art they are creating and the gallery that is representing them. By putting galleries in the middle of neighborhoods, it will bring a sense of camaraderie to people. It will be a place they can visit and be a part of.A future to work towards!

The Vision of  Success

We are working with a building on the corner of Sip Ave. and Whitmen Ave. in Jersey City NJ.
The vision is to turn this two story abandoned building into a gallery on the first floor and artists lofts on the second.
The is owned by the city and has around 3,500sf. building of this size can go from 15o to 500 thousand.
Given the good conditions of this building, the renovation will not be as pricy as one may think.

Changes to be Made:

The building (The Sip House) is in surprisingly good condition. Thus for the building will still need a great amount but may not be as costly as many other abandoned buildings.

Exterior Changes:

• Door on north end will be lifted and stairs and ramp will be added
• Another door will be added to south end, giving access to studios above
• extra walls in the back will be taken down
• garage door by shipping dock
• building will be sand blasted
• parking lot repaved
• lastly, new windows will be put in.

Cost:

• doors: 3,500
• wall removal: 5,000
• parking lot: 500
• sand blast: 75 per hour
• windows: 8,000
• Garage door: 2,000

total: 20,000

Interior changes:

• gut the entire building
• leveling off and finishing cement floors
• adding walls
• 4 bathrooms total (first and second floor) + pluming
• elevator lift by shipping dock
• new staircase
• lighting
• general pluming

cost:

• Demolition: $3,000
• Electrical: $10,000
• Cabinetry: $4,500
• Counter tops: $2,200
• Bathroom work: $8,000
• Drywall (labor): $4,000
• Drywall (material): $3,500
• flooring (material): $5,000  
• Painting: $3,800
• Staircase:$6,000
• Appliances: $4,000
• Dumpster service: $1,500
• Construction cleaning: $500
• Permits: $2,500

Total: 60,000

Final Outcome

Gallery and Revenues:

• The gallery will rent the space to artists
• The shows will change monthly
• The gallery sales percentage will be 30%
• A small management team will run, work, and promote the gallery and its shows.
• Students in management classes will be given the opportunity to do a work study in the gallery.

Studio Space:

• There will be three spaces available to rent.
• large: $980/mo
• medium: $875/mo
• small: $700/mo
• space will primerily be advertised to graduating art students.
• These studio spaces will be a place where young upcoming artists can get a start.

Bringing the Community into the Process

As the building is being worked on, there will be a website that people can go on to follow the production of the renovation.This will allow the community to feel as though they are a part of improving there neighborhood. The community are the people who will be putting good or bad word out obout the gallery and by having them feel as though they were part of the production, they will only have good things to say.