"Founding Informational Meeting: Monday, Nov 23 at 6:30 PM — Brighton District Library (Room A/B)"
Many successful Men's Sheds around the world begin humbly in spaces as compact as 1,000 to 1,500 square feet—such as a repurposed church hall basement, a vacant warehouse bay, a modular barn, or surplus municipal space.
As our membership, community builds, and equipment inventory grow, we plan to expand into a permanent 2,500 to 4,500+ sq. ft. facility. However, to get our doors open in 2027, safely launch our first craft benches, host community Repair Cafés, securely store donated tools, and—most importantly—provide a comfortable lounge where members can sit and talk over coffee, we need a viable starting location in the greater Brighton / Livingston County area.
Do you own, manage, or know of an underutilized commercial space, light industrial bay, pole barn, or institutional building?
We want to hear from you -- let us know if you have any ideas
How You Can Help:
Spot a Space: Submit an address, vacant storefront, light industrial unit, or church/civic building you've noticed sitting vacant.
Connect Us to a Decision Maker: Introduce us to a commercial broker, township official, landlord, church trustee, or property owner who values community revival.
Fill Out the Form Below: Provide details or a direct introduction so our Steering Committee can schedule an initial walkthrough.
To open safely and meet local building and fire codes, any potential location must satisfy these non-negotiables:
Footprint: Approximately 1,000 – 1,800 sq. ft. of usable, contiguous indoor ground-level or ramp-accessible floor space.
Electrical Capacity: Minimum 100A–200A single-phase service, with sufficient panel capacity to run stationary woodworking equipment, dust extractors, and shop heating.
Accessibility: Ground-level entry or ramp with standard ADA accessibility so members with mobility aids can comfortably participate.
Loading & Access: Double entry doors or a grade-level roll-up / overhead door to move workbenches, sheet goods, and large machinery in and out.
Climate Control & Ventilation: Basic winter heating and workable air circulation/ventilation.
Restrooms: At least one operational, code-compliant restroom on-site or directly accessible within the facility.
Zoning & Compatibility: Light industrial, general commercial, agricultural, or institutional zoning that accommodates hobbyist workshop use and public community repair clinics.
Zoned Core Spaces: Sufficient layout clearance to establish:
Safe bench cluster (woodworking, assembly, diagnostics)
Dedicated Tool Crib & secure donation intake staging
Clean, sawdust-isolated tea/coffee social lounge ("The Kettle")
If you know of larger or flexible spaces that allow us to scale without relocating, our ideal wishlist includes:
Footprint: 2,500 – 4,500+ sq. ft. clear-span space with concrete slab flooring.
Electrical Capacity: 200A–400A service with 240V drops (and ideally 3-phase power) to operate heavy-duty welders, cabinet saws, and metal cutoff machinery.
Dedicated Administrative Office: A sound-dampened, dust-free office suite for Board of Directors meetings, executive committee work, digital record archiving, and computer/CAD workstations.
Specialized Hot Work / Wet Area: Concrete-floored alcove suitable for a spark curtain (MIG/TIG welding) and a utility sink with water supply/drainage.
Dedicated Loading Bay: Commercial grade-level overhead door with flat driveway access for easy trailer/truck unloading during community tool drives.
Central Exhaust / High Ceilings: 10+ ft. ceiling clearance facilitating overhead ambient dust collection ducting and drop cords.
On-Site Parking: 15–25 dedicated, paved parking spaces for meeting nights and Repair Café attendees.
We are actively exploring donated space, low-cost community leases, shared-use municipal agreements, or phased commercial tenancies.
Because we are organizing as a Michigan non-profit community entity, property owners partnering with us may benefit from lease write-downs, charitable contribution considerations, facility improvements, and positive community visibility.
How You Can Help:
Spot a Space: Submit an address, vacant storefront, light industrial unit, or church/civic building you've noticed sitting vacant.
Connect Us to a Decision Maker: Introduce us to a commercial broker, township official, landlord, church trustee, or property owner who values community revival.
Fill Out the Form Below: Provide details or a direct introduction so our Steering Committee can schedule an initial walkthrough.