Strategic Reuse Study
The Problem
Reuse and rehabilitation projects are complex, with many different things to consider. It’s common for commercial and institutional building owners to feel overwhelmed by this complexity. This confusion can delay progress, waste time, and increase costs. Some may not even know where to begin or what questions to ask.
Just as you would not expect your doctor to prescribe a medication without first establishing a diagnosis, it’s very risky to begin design without first identifying a project’s unique challenges, goals, and opportunities. It is for this reason that we developed the Strategic Reuse Study, a necessary diagnostic step to establishing the basis of your building reuse project.
The Promise
The Strategic Reuse Study will help you understand the requirements, constraints, and potential pitfalls of your building reuse project.
It will explore your project in a comprehensive structure format.
It will help you avoid redoing work by completing work in the optimal sequence. Thus, avoiding headaches, stress, project overruns and schedule delays.
It will give you an overall picture of your project and how each piece fits into the overall reuse project process.
It will create a proper foundation for the project, thereby saving time and money in the long run.
It gives us an opportunity to get to know one another and determine if we’re a “fit “before fully committing to further design services.
The Process
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History
What’s the history of your building? What’s the historical status on local or National Registers? What additional historical and archival resources are available for further research? What’s the local preservation review process? Does the project require State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) review?
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Conditions and Documentation
How much documentation do you have for the building? What additional documentation will be needed to complete your project? What is the best method for recording your building? What is the overall condition of the building? Are there any urgent repairs that need to be completed right away? What conditions and materials need to be investigated in further detail?
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Project Goals
What are the goals for the buildings use? Do you want to improve the current use or reuse the building for a completely new purpose? Do you have that new use identified or do you want to explore potential new use options? What are the sustainability and energy efficiency goals? Are you familiar with or interested in LEED, WELL, Living Future Challenge or other sustainable rating systems?
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Financials
What is the ballpark cost of your project? What preservation incentives are available for your project? Can your project potential qualify for preservation tax credits, property tax assessment freezes, grants, tax increment financing (TIF), or the local incentives? Can your project potentially qualify for energy company rebates, energy improvement tax credits or other local sustainable incentives? Are there other special financing, grants or incentives based on the proposed project use, i.e., low-income housing?
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Next Steps
What is a feasible project schedule? What other professionals need to be brought into the project team and when? How will you select the general contractor, by bid or by qualifications? What are the next steps?
The Investment
The Strategic Reuse Study helps you navigate the complexity of your project and identify the breadth of information required to initiate both an appropriate budget and schedule. It is a resource you will refer to throughout your building reuse process.
The investment required to complete the report begins at $3,000 for small, simple projects, scaling upwards based on project complexity and available information.