Studio status update

Hello all

Feels like forever since the last blog post. I (Chase) am happy to announce that the city approved our build plans a couple of weeks ago, and the subcontractors are beginning their work.

The studio portion of the space is 85% complete. We need to move the lockers in, and move the member shelving in. All the wheels are ready, including the new ones for outside of class time. There really isn't much to do in the actual studio space. The main bulk of work is centered around HVAC and bathrooms being plumbed in. The HVAC contractor had to order some custom duct work items, which took 2 weeks to ship for example.

We project about a 3 week opening period from today, depending on how quickly the city issues our occupancy paperwork after final approval. Although that seems like a long time, in the grand scheme of things we are close to the finish line.

The delays have been completely out of our control. Previously we thought we'd only be closed for a couple of weeks, but that has clearly transformed into about 6 weeks. We did everything we could on our end, and ultimately were at the mercy of bureaucracy.

Believe it or not, we began the build out back in December.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Although Katelyn and I are fatigued from this entire process, we ultimately are very satisfied with the new space. We are certain you all will really appreciate the hard work, and the extra amenities. In a separate blog post coming soon, we will discuss rule and policy changes that will be taking place. Nothing bad, just a shift in the way we handle certain things like members signing up for classes, or members purchasing certain materials for example.

We also have a back door that you'll be allowed to utilize to sit outside and throw clay etc. There will be some rules around that, and coming soon - rule agreements! We'll also have some rule books placed around the space for reference. Again, all this in a new blog post after management have come to agree on all the new changes.

Thank you for your patience.

IMPORTANT SPECIAL THANKS:

Tony Shipley - For being unbelievably dedicated to volunteering. Tony has showed up more times than I can count to help with painting, demo work, clean up, laying floor, trim work, and probably more than I can type here. Tony - I've bought you every after work beer through this, but I owe you much more. Thanks for your contributions.

Karen McGee - Thank you for showing up even when you were having car trouble. You lended a very well appreciated helping hand during this entire process. If you weren't handing me a floor board, you were following me holding an air compressor hose while I nailed something down. I am sad to say you'll be on vacation when we grand open! However, a warm welcome to the studio when you come back.

Haley Peck - I won't forget that you walked THROUGH DOWNTOWN when it snowed a foot, just to help me unload some scaffolding from my trailer when I was slipping and sliding around by myself. Also, you were a huge help during the painting process. Having a scaffolding pusher is top tier helpful. Not to mention, you help on team Hot Girl (Team A) during the move itself! Thank you so so much.

Jeff Miller - Just like Tony, you were there when we painted, when we laid floor, even some demo. You even showed up when I wasn't there just to pound on that harbor freight nailgun for a few hours. The Metabo works much better. Thank you for your patience, time, and hard work. Takes a lot of guts to respond to a text from me when I say "Hey wanna help me with something real quick?"- If you know, you know.

Sharon Warnecke - Thank you for your dedication to showing up and volunteering, having the perfect tool at the perfect time when I needed it most (aerosol lubricant, metal sheers, tiny screw drivers, list goes on). Takes some brass to show up when someone says "we're laying floor this week" and really help out! It has been a pleasure to meet you personally throughout this process.

Kaylee Tollefson - I know you work full time like a lot of us do, it was very kind of you to show up in the evenings to help me do some trim painting. The upstairs tenants probably love hearing Imagine Dragons at 8pm from a JBL speaker echoing downstairs. See you at the grand opening!

Alex Hawes - Showed up for the big move on Team B (name pending). Having someone lift all those lockers, wheels, and thousands of pounds of clay was very generous, and we're glad to have you on as a team member with us. I think it's been like 2 years already. Your hard work is noticed and appreciated.

Lisa McKinney - Thank you for bringing me homemade food on the hard days when mcdonalds probably would've just killed me. Also, how did you know blood orange san pellegrino is my favorite soda??? You showed up numerous times, and showed up for the move as well on team Hot Girl (Team A). Your cleaning, motivational words, and support are very appreciated. You better make it to the opening night!

Special thanks to anyone not mentioned here that assisted with the moving process, and lent a hand at the new studio.