09/ 26/ 2007
by Shannon McRae
Live/work developments appeal to urban small-business owners
Claire Nelson gives a whole new meaning to living at the office because she, in fact, does. Earlier this year, Nelson and her husband, Francis Grunow, opened a home-accessories retail store on the ground floor of the loft development where they live in midtown Detroit.
"We hate commuting," says Nelson, owner of the Bureau of Urban Living. "This setup is sort of back to basics--It's a return to the days when people lived and worked in the same neighborhood."
Live/work spaces are becoming more popular with city planners and business owners for several reasons, says Kit McCullough, a professor at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
"Affordability of space is an issue for small-business owners," McCullough says. "Cities are seeing small, locally owned shops get priced out of downtown areas because of rent increases. In most places, the only way to own your own space is to purchase an entire commercial building, which is out of reach for most small-business owners."
Mixed-use buildings give business owners who aren't interested in suburban strip malls a chance to purchase or rent space in more urban settings.
Nelson and Grunow own their loft, but rent their retail space. They scouted other locations for the shop, but eventually decided their own building was the perfect spot. "Our store is as much about the stuff we're selling as it is about promoting healthy, vibrant cities where people live and work," says Nelson, who enjoys visiting with neighbors who frequent her shop. "Ever since we opened the store, we're more aware of our neighborhood than we would be if we commuted to a different area to work and just came home at night."
Cutting down on commutes is another reason city planners are embracing this type of development, McCullough says. "Cities are trying to reduce vehicle congestion, and residents want to reduce the amount of time they spend commuting," she says. "Living where you work is one answer."
For Michael Harper, living where he works not only reduces his monthly gas bill, it also lowers his overhead substantially. Last fall, the owner of Platinum Financial Group moved into Park Enterprise Lofts, a new development in downtown Milwaukee specifically targeted toward small-business owners.
"The business center is what attracted me most," says Harper, who works from his loft when he's not on-site with a client. "I don't have to go far or pay extra rent to have access to conference rooms, TVs and monitors, large document printers and office supplies. As an entrepreneur who was paying rent for an apartment and office space, I've realized some good savings."
The struggle to maintain a work/life balance might be more challenging to those who like to lock the door at night and leave the office behind. Both Nelson and Harper admit the line between home and work is blurred, but neither considers that a negative.
"It's really nice to be able to stay after hours, come upstairs for dinner, and go back down and keep working," Nelson says.
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