SAMBA meeting 7-09-09

[fsu813]

Pretty interesting SAMBA meeting yesterday evening....

- Content Design Group gave a presentation on thier Urabn Facelift Project
- They emphasize designing on a budget & value designing
- The team consists of an architect/ contractor dou
- The key things to focus on in an Urban Facelift are: color, exterior lighting, signage, & awnings
- Most of thier designs seen on the Urban Facelift Project only took a few hours to come up with, since they
  mostly do them for fun.
- A business can hire Content Design Group for an Urban Facelift for as little as $400 bucks
- They use the Sketch Up computer program and showed the audience how to use it (more or less)
- Thier website is www.contentdg.com
- About 15 people attended the meeting/presentation
- SPAR will probably be securing funds for paint, fencing, etc for 5 or more local businesses to make outward
  improvments, thus a possibly partnering with Content Design Group for multiple Urban Facelifts.
- Probable SAMBA mixer next week, details to come.

Before the SAMBA meeting I stopped by 3rd & Main as they had an open house for Proton patients. Took the nickel tour and it looked very, very nice. Very well done. The rooms, furnishings, and appliances all look top notch.

After the meeting, cookies and ice cream at City Kidz. Next meeting is August 13th at 6pm, SPAR building.

[sheclown]

Strider and I are looking into building an infill on a lot at 7th and Main (north corner, west side,  just past the alley).  It is zoned CCG and we'd like to have a two story building with retail space downstairs and office space/classrooms/meeting room upstairs.  It would need to be at least 3000 SF.  We have access to the parking lot behind this for parking.

We are terribly excited about the opportunity to build commercial space.  This is in the pre-design phase and we are trying to figure out what the exterior of this space should "look" like. 

Any ideas??

This project is a long way off, but we'd like to start with a plan.

[sheclown]

I'm thinking either Art Deco or Art Moderne...I mean nothing fancy at all.  It would have to be a modest project, but since Strider and I are contractors, we are especially interested in the whole process.  We plotted and planned our houses on Liberty (1240 and 1250 Liberty).  We spent many hours with paper and pen sketching out ideas, and really, that's how we decided on the tall columns for 1250.

So...any ideas??

[thelakelander]

I can help you out.  Check your PMs.

[CDG]

sheclown,

If you are interested, we would love to meet with you and discuss your project.  As you can see from our web site www.contentdg.com and our "Urban Facelift Project" we are very passionate about the urban core and it's redevelopment.  Our contact info. is on the web site. 

Thanks,

Greg Beere
content design group

[sheclown]

Thanks, I'll check out your website.  In the meantime, I'm thinking something like this...

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~twp/architecture/artdeco/artdeco001.jpg

[nvrenuf]

Cool building.

[urbanlibertarian]

Hmmmm.  Reminds me of a very cool recently constructed building across the street from Shantytown Pub. 

[jason_contentdg]

Actually, it reminds me a little of 118 Main, the one that recently got torn down as we all know.  That's a very cool building, sheclown.  Could definitely see something in that style fitting on that lot.

[sheclown]

We have a lot of hurdles to jump, but I'd love to do this. 

[brainstormer]

I agree, art deco is a neat idea.  I also like the look of 1639 N Main.  The brick building with balcony on the front is kind of New Orleans, but I found this building from Alabama, and I think its look would fit nicely into Springfield.  Something to think about. 

http://www.terragalleria.com/images/us-se/usal38151.jpeg

[strider]

That building ( above by brainstormer) is close to what the brick building on the corner of 7th and Main - NW corner once looked like.  If you look close, you can still see the locations of the balcony supports.  I believe the balcony even ran across the back as well as the sides and front.

Art deco / art modern is a little more unique and would be fun to do.

[sheclown]

Brainstormer, that is very cool.  It reminds me of the building on the east side?  Where is that, like Walnut and 2nd? 

[strider]

By the way, the art deco building Sheclown linked to is in CA.  I have linked two examples of art moderne buildings.  The first one is in AZ and was built as a retail store.  The second I think is offices and is in Long Beach.  I really like the softer curves and cleaner look of art moderne, but I question if it would work with the long rectangular lot we are faced with.  Also, it does seem that there aren't many, if any, real examples of art moderne in the area.  And yes, the loss of the little art deco building downtown was unfortunate.

• http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~twp/architecture/artdeco/artdeco2.jpg
• http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~twp/architecture/newphotos_june06/P5290052web.JPG

[sheclown]

Adel's Supermarket (is that the right name?).  Also there are a great number of commerical buildings around with that look.  There's a tire repair place down on main -- you can look at it and tell it was cool at one time.

I think the first one is rather ugly, Strider.