We are moving

The landlord has sold the building and we have to move out. As much as moving can be a real pain, as one door closes another one opens. So we are viewing the move as an opportunity to find a home for Fusion that will be the best yet. 

The search began several months ago. Our criteria was fairly extensive, but with lots of for lease signs around Adelaide there's plenty of choice. We looked for around 450-600m2 over one level. An open plan space works best for the teams to interact and communicate with each other. We wanted some character about the space too, something that makes it more interesting than just a generic grey box. That combination of old and new works really well. The location we wanted to be central with easy public transport, parking options, good cafes and shopping nearby. So much of our time is spent at work, the space should be inspiring and pleasurable. Life is not a dress rehearsal after all.

Straight away I came across one office that looked ideal, character building in Rundle Street, Fusion's old stomping ground. It was recently renovated to include a modern glass and steel entrance, beautiful polished floor boards and lots of light and open space. However the listing was pulled from the internet for some reason. We all kept looking and viewed some possibilities. A parkland fronted space, the top floor of a 1920s building near Victoria square and a stand alone building in Grenfell Street. Time was ticking on and we had not found an ideal space, it seemed like we might have to compromise on our wish list. Then I was surprised to see the Rundle Street premises advertised for lease again. After making more enquiries I found out that the top floor was still available. 

At the viewing we were not disappointed. The space was perfect. So much light was streaming into the place. It was large enough, open plan and located back in our favourite part of town. We got excited and started to imagine Fusion in this amazing space.

But there is always a catch isn't there? What the agent failed to inform us was that the building was heritage listed. A friend in the know, dropped the bomb. This heritage listed building needed to go through an approval process at Council to even get the interior fit out approved. That could take at least six to eight weeks, coupled with another six to eight weeks to build the fit out and It looked like timing could be a real issue. I really couldn't see Fusion camping out in someone's bedroom like when we first started out.

We got talking to the tenants who moved into the floor below. They were kind enough to be open and honest about the process they went through to occupy the building. Hopefully we could learn from the challenges they had overcome. One of the things we love about Adelaide is that someone always knows someone. In this case the Architect we worked with on the Rundle Lantern project had some contacts at Council who might be guide us through the approval process. So despite the Heritage listing moving to Rundle Street might be a real possibility.