All Forum Posts by: Eric James Slater

@Alvin Sylvain it makes sense. Not everyone wants to discuss Seneca and Warhol movements and the time periods they represent. Most, are perfectly fine with pastel colors of still life and office art work.

I’m more interested in being inspired. Like inspiring others. Seeing a space that may not have even been designated to live in (like a factory) and make it a dwelling.

@Alvin Sylvain I like this actually. And have learned this lesson too... Building a brick oven bakery and obsessing over the details a successful restaurant owning friend simply said one day you know, “you are the only person who is going to notice that” and she was right!!!

@Jonathan Greene I hear that. It’s important to be practical and not too over the top. I’m sorta referring to the movements in the 90’s south side Chicago, to take old Printers Row industrial area and rehab it. Make it livable and cool. You see this in Milwakee and Brooklyn too, perhaps they led the movement.

I’m here in Jacksonville. It’s like the whole damn city needs to be rehabbed. But would touch downtown with a ten foot pole. That said, the funkier “hipper” part of Riverside has some cool building by the train tracks. They have a pretty cool art scene there too. So the question rephrased:

Is it worth taking old brick building perhaps used in industry, and turning them into livable apartments? Obviously the numbers need to be correct. But is the main hurdle the permitting/zoning?

Granted, I’m just starting off with this home buying thing. That said, style is important to me. I’ve built 10 artisan brick oven bakeries. 25 brick ovens. And a Food Truck Park with bar and stage, servicing 13 individual vendors.

I’d like to buy and rehab cool properties. Not your normal single family. But more like old brick buildings in the “Cork Arts District” and make exposed rafters type buildings into big city style lofts.

Will people pay extra rent if these places are hip?