Wycliff: A new hub for creative industries
The Creative Enterprise Zone has a new trove of industrial space for lease: the freshly rehabbed complex at 2327 Wycliff, just off Raymond Avenue near Hampden Park Co-op. Now known as Wycliff, it's a set of linked buildings anchored by the five-story former Fisher Nut plant, built in 1956 (shown here). Several vintage brick-and-beam buildings diversify the range of options now available: 50 suites, all contained in the block bordered by Wycliff and Bradford Streets, a stone's throw from the Urban Growler Brewing Company.
The developer had a vision. Rich Pakonen of PAK Properties in St. Paul wanted to refresh the entire complex with high functionality for creative industries, while retaining its true grit. "It's not over-improved, but it's new, it's clean," Rich said as he strode through the Wycliff the other day. "For a small business, it gives you all the benefits of a big building, but none of the detriments."
That's because although The Wycliff totals 300,000 square feet, it doesn't feel like it. Spaces are varied in size and shape (2,000–10,000 sf) and linked with wide hallways. Windows and daylight are plentiful, thanks to the many exterior walls, bays, and corners. For makers and manufacturers, it's unusual to find small to medium-sized spaces with the industrial amenities found here (see specifics on Loopnet). For example:
Access: Eleven entrances, some with shared stairwells, so each space has its own street-facing identity. There's also a main entrance, fully accessible. Inside are multiple freight elevators, 22 enclosed loading docks, and all doorways are forklift-wide
Basics: 440-volt power, new HVAC, lighting, plumbing, and sprinkler systems; floors loaded to 250 lbs/foot
Finishes: Customizable; some areas already have food-grade floors and surfaces
Niceties: Pleasant, customer-ready bathrooms; locker rooms and shower facilities
Setting: Four blocks from Green Line; two parking lots totalling 180 spaces; two breweries and a co-op grocery-deli are steps away
Wycliff also has vast potential for art: imagine exterior murals and wayfinding art for stairwells and halls. As a top-tier sponsor for the Chroma Zone festival, The Wycliff has already scored the event's first mural, by Wes Winship, shown here at work on site (see video above).
Here and in cities nationwide, small businesses are seeking spaces that stir imagination, fuel productivity, and are likely to stay affordable into the future. "A lot of customers are calling us from Class C buildings that are in the path of gentrification," said Rich. But The Wycliff is industrial to its bones. "Here, you can make all the noise as you want," he said, grinning, "and all the smells you want!" (Some of those smells will be delicious: a cluster of food-related enterprises is forming, prompted by Deane's Kombucha, one of the first new tenants.) The building's many nooks and crannies reflect its multifarious possibilities. "It's a Frankenstein building," Rich admits, looking at the comprehensive floor plan.
Yes, but in a good way. A really good way.