Building Up Rather Than Out?

As you know, we continue to search for a site to house Parmasters Waterloo Region. It’s taking a little longer than anticipated to find the right site. However, at the same time, it’s time very well spent. Location and building (configuration, esthetics, price, etc.) are crucial to success. We will not rush into the wrong location.

To broaden our choices, we’ve been considering the possibility of a two story Parmasters. Well, really a story and a half I guess. We’re considering including a mezzanine or loft area.

Going up into a mezzanine would allow us to reduce our overall footprint by roughly the size of the mezzanine. Thus, instead of a 15,000 sq. ft. footprint, we could consider leasing say 12,000 sq. ft. and building a 3,000 sq. ft. mezzanine.

Several considerations come to mind:
- Will the space still create that “wow!” reaction that we’re looking for?
- Which components go up on the mezzanine?
- Will we have to install an elevator or lift?
- How much vertical – floor to ceiling – clearance do the components require?

We believe that a two story section, along with a balcony up on the mezzanine, overlooking the rest of the center, will create a very interesting and appealing space. The “wow!” reaction is still very attainable.

If we were to offer a ground floor alternative to all components that are up on the mezzanine, we believe an elevator would be unnecessary. So, if we put six simulators up on the mezzanine and had two identical simulators on the main floor, no need for an elevator.

But when you start considering the components that go up, and the components which sit underneath the mezzanine, it becomes complicated.

Certain components must remain on the main floor. These include the café, the pro shop (we call it Kaizen Korner), the green and short game area, and ideally the meeting room. Club storage and repair should also stay on the main floor, along with the locker rooms.

My office can certainly go upstairs.

However, the remainder of the components are driving bays (simulators, fairway bunker bay, fluency machines) and the fitness area. These components all require at least a 12 foot ceiling.

So, it seems, if we were to include a mezzanine we would require at least 12 foot ceilings both above and below the mezzanine. That suggests at least a 25 foot overall ceiling height.

We have not yet seen a building with a 25 foot clear ceiling.

Of course, there is also the cost side of the equation. We would only consider a mezzanine if the cost per sq. ft. for the floor area was above our budget. Thus, the cost of the mezzanine (capital cost) would be offset by reduced lease costs (operational).

But, in the end, it’s quite unlikely that we will find a space with 25 foot ceilings that requires us to build a mezzanine.