Page 15 - NY Cooperator May 2019

COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — MAY 2019 15 www.automaticindustries.com 1-800-THE-WASH WOMAN OWNED COMPANY BACKED BY A LOT OF MAN POWER FAMILY-OWNED SINCE 1971 We offer a boutique style of service We are compassionate and caring to our customers While still being competitive with the “Big Box” Boyz! Offering state-of-the-art laundry rooms things to do is to take an apartment or an un- used space, usually in the basement, and turn it into an amenity. I did a job at Renoir House \[on the Upper East Side of Manhattan\], where occasional logjam that can result in missed op- they took an unused apartment and turned it portunity. “We worked with a condominium into a gym. It was so clever. It was simply a building constructed in the 1960s,” he says. question of taking down a couple of walls, and “At one time the building had a commissary we retained the bathroom. We got rid of the as part of the ground floor plan, but it been kitchen and brought in appropriate flooring out of operation for some 15 to 20 years. It and equipment. The flooring was designed to was just an empty space behind the doorman’s cut down on noise. It wasn’t difficult.” Lauren also describes another repurposing tee of residents set up by the condo board to where a space formerly used as the superin- tendent’s store room on the building’s lobby meetings, the board pulled the plug on the level was converted to a gym. The space was project because of lack of consensus on what dark, but it was up against the exterior of the to do with the space. The space is still unused.” building, and as such they were able to work If you have an unused space, don’t make the with an architect to add windows. Once the mistake of letting a project to revitalize it get windows were installed, light poured into the derailed by indecision or political infighting. room. Lauren cautions that this type of repur- posing requires Department of Buildings ap- proval and a change in the building’s Certificate of Occupancy. Think Out of the Box Patrick Rosen, Partner at Rosen Ar- chitecture in Chicago, describes the award- winning adaptation of a courtyard in an apart- ment building con- structed in the 1920s to a more modern use. “The building had an ‘H-’ shape,” he says. “We took a portion of what space is available and what your budget one of the courtyards and built bicycle storage. is. Storage, especially in apartment buildings, The idea was to encourage residents to exer- cise, particularly due to the building’s proxim- ity to the lakefront and bicycle paths. Another heavy than a gym or even a community space. intention was to discourage driving. We came up with a formula – one bike for every five rused or unused space, Lauren suggests the units – and designed a shed, which we turned following considerations to co-op and con- into a feature of the courtyard. It has sliding dominium boards when she consults with barn-type doors and lights that come on auto- matically when the doors are open. This ame- nity became one of the main features that the inviting? Does it have windows? Finally, and building advertises.” “People are becoming much more cre- ative,” says Lauren of what she sees being done ing currently have, and what do competitive in buildings now. “At 535 West End Avenue, properties have? What amenities would make we did a multi-use space. They had a beauti- ful, round corner space on the ground floor. other buildings? It was a commercial space that went unused for a very long time. I suggested a multi-use ties mean added value, and added value means space that included library shelves, seating, more money in your pocket when you sell – Wi-Fi, and a conference table for shareholder so if you’ve been eyeing a disused basement meetings. We even installed a bar area with a corner, super’s apartment or other promising refrigerator. They rent out the space for high- end fundraising events. The room has two turn it into something wonderful. access points—one through the lobby and the other from the street—so if they rent it out for a party, no one is walking through the lobby to enter.” A Cautionary Tale Rosen recalls a situation that reflects the desk. We were hired to work with a commit- re-purpose the space. In the end, after many That not only deprives residents of an amenity, but it may mean that your building or associa- tion will miss out on a potential revenue stream. What’s Popular According to both Rosen and Lauren, the most common and sought-after amenities are gyms, community spaces, and storage. The main considerations for choosing be- tween these uses are is often a real necessity – and it’s far less ex- pensive and construction- and infrastructure- In deciding what to do with your unde- them: What is the size of the space? What can it accommodate? Is the space attractive and perhaps most importantly for co-ops and con- dominiums, what amenities does your build- —or keep—your building competitive with In the case of condos and co-ops, ameni- space in your building, it may be the time to n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for The Cooperator, and a published novelist. “One of the easiest things to do is to take an apartment or an unused space, usually in the basement, and turn it into an amenity.” — Susan Lauren