Whats the best way to divide one big box retail space?
The building is 160 feet wide and 180 feet long.

Big box retail space. I only need 1/3 of the space for my own business (10,000 sqft), 

and I have one existing restaurant owner interested in renting a subdivided 2000 sq ft space from me.  I think it won't be easy to find a big tenant, so I'm trying to chop it down and find small local tenants. 

The front seems too narrow and the side is a bit too long.

Does anyone have experience with this? I don’t have the budget for redevelopment but I'm looking for the most efficient way to subdivide the building.

heres the floorplan and storefront image:

[https://i.imgur.com/xaI3CC8.png](https://i.imgur.com/xaI3CC8.png)

[https://i.imgur.com/eGRbH5z.png](https://i.imgur.com/eGRbH5z.png)
[{"id": "hrlp1t6", "text": "Where is it located and what do you want per sqft?  I may be interested in doing a lease on it myself", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrlplzw", "text": "Depending on location, zoning and rear access you can always lease the back as storage or light industrial.  That would make the front easier to split up.  Be prepared to spend a lot of money on plumbing and hvac.  And the taller your ceiling the more expensive demising walls are.", "replies": [{"id": "hrmhdin", "text": "But if you do that the tenants will no longer have access to a dock, assuming there\u2019s a dock.  Dock space for deliveries is important, plus due to fire regulations you need to access points.", "replies": [{"id": "hrnkd1l", "text": "Not every business needs a loading dock.  And I\u2019m under the assumption that since the building is so large it has a fire sprinkler system.", "replies": [{"id": "hrnlhl4", "text": "You're right, but it's a former big box.  You reduce the number of potential tenants when you don't have a dock, let alone the fact that it's a long narrow space.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrlqht5", "text": "Fire corridors/suppression, egress doors, restrooms, splitting hvac, are going to determine if this is feasible cost wise to even consider splitting.  Zoning?  After all that I'm not really seeing how you chop it up in a manner that would even make sense.\n\nForget the 2000 sf restaurant.  Ceilings are too high, plumbing and restrooms will be inadequate, a million other reasons why that wont work.  Assuming there's not infrastructure(gaslines, plumbing, hoods, greasetraps, etc) from a prior restaurant...move on.\n\nSo, we need more info.  Does your business need storefront/exposure, or can you be in the back third of the building?  If not, you take some portion of the front, drop fire corridors and exits and restrooms, hope you can get a church, self storage, gym, indoor sports use, to take a look.  But all that upfront splitting is going to be at your cost.  And that shit will cost you more than the building, likely.\n\nSorry to be a buzzkill.", "replies": [{"id": "hrlsne9", "text": "I agree that it's going to be expensive to chop this up, more expensive than the building, but the building isn't worth much.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "hrlxyo0", "text": "I see your point, I would need the storefront exposure. I think I might\u2019ve underestimated the cost to split.", "replies": [{"id": "hrmx532", "text": "You did. Everyone does. It's very expensive.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrlvgxx", "text": "How about a Gym, movie theatre, grocery store, night club or storage in the back, but enter through the large prominent front door in a T shape or wedding cake shape.  Smaller spaces with entrances facing the parking lot. \n\nYou could do 6 retail spaces that are 20' x 80' or 20' x 100' that would be acceptable for the restaurant and other tenants.\n\nA lot might depend on where the pillars are located. We can't tell by looking at the photo, but I'm assuming in my head that as you walk from left to right that there are pillars every 20'.\n\nYou can have pillars in the middle of these demised spaces but it would be ideal to put the walls in where the pillars are.\n\nAnother consideration is your HVAC equipment, where are they located and how old are they.\n\nYour municipality probably requires two entrances for each retail unit, suggesting that an internal hallway will be needed for access to the rear of find of the units.\n\nThis is a big project, it's going to be expensive, but got also might stand to make a lot of money. My suggestion is that you hire an architect and broker and see what they think.", "replies": [{"id": "hrlx0j8", "text": "Thank you for the comment, I\u2019m completely new in commercial. \nIt\u2019s located at the Main Street across street from Walmart/McDonald and Next to state highway a small town with 12k population.\nSpeaking of expensive, are we talking about like 100-200k? Sorry if this sounds ignorant.", "replies": [{"id": "hrlymhf", "text": "I have no idea what the costs are in your area, it could be $500k, maybe more. You need a few quotes from contractors, if one is way lower there is a problem with that quote. Before you go to contractors, you need a plan, and possibly rezoning application. You need a broker.\n\nSounds like a great location.\n\nI think you could still make money on this. You bought an empty shell building that someone wanted to dump and you could maybe get the work done and sell the building if you get it fully leased. You paid $500k, let's say you put another $700k in, it might be worth $1.5M etc", "replies": [{"id": "hrm0avy", "text": "Our initial intention was buying a 7000 sqft with $500k for our business in town. Out of nowhere we are attracted by this big boy with same money. I\u2019m still not sure if this is right for me as I\u2019m inexperienced and can\u2019t figure out what I\u2019m going to do with all these extra space. Just afraid this might end up being cash sucking black hole.", "replies": [{"id": "hrm1kw8", "text": "My guess is that the seller wants to get out and can't find a buyer.\n\nIt's a big project, but it could be worth while. I also would be afraid of it being a cash sucking black hole, but it also could be an opportunity.\n\nThe general idea with these empty big boxes is to turn them into something else. Entertainment and service is ideal.\n\nAll that space in the back could be rented to one of those exit room places, or bowling alley or movie theatre for less per sqft. The frontage would then need to have windows and doors put in.\n\nYou could also maybe use that whole space for yourself somehow, lots of space for office or distribution to other locations if you have other locations already.\n\nIs this your first store?", "replies": [{"id": "hrm4821", "text": "This property has 4 acre lot with 30,000sqft building, and listed for $995k. And current buyer only wants the empty half 2 acres to build hotel. They are selling the other half of land with building on top for $585k.\nDo you think the price is reasonable? Have you seen any deal structured like this before?\nWe have two existing stores and they are all lease. It\u2019s our first attempt buying a commercial retail space. This town does not have anything on the market for lease, and the reason we want a store desperately in this town is because it\u2019s packed with immigrants and no competitor. \nThank you so much for the time you consume replying to my post.", "replies": [{"id": "hrox3sc", "text": "My guess is that the deal is closer to fair, and probably not for you. But how can we know.\n\nYou are going to be in a construction site for years, and the valuable parking lot will be gone, along with your frontage.\n\nThis is beyond the scope of this forum and you should be working with a broker on a location that maximizes the I come for your business. I think the land deal is entirely a different type of business. You will probably need to setup a holding company for the land that rents the portion you want for your store to your retail company, and is professionally managed by a property manager.", "replies": [], "depth": 7}], "depth": 6}, {"id": "hrm57cj", "text": "Also, it was listed at $995k and it\u2019s been up there for almost 2 years. I called them out of curiosity and found out this interesting deal.", "replies": [], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}, {"id": "hrn2fse", "text": "Way more. Maybe 100k just for the fire suppression and framing.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrlwajw", "text": "Did you close on this already?\n\nI think by your post history that it was $500k for this deal and was the same price as a smaller location?", "replies": [{"id": "hrlwf6g", "text": "I think you stand to make some money on this. What kind of business are you in, what is your retail business?", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "hrlx9pu", "text": "Yes, same asking price. \nWe own a couple retail discount store targeting lower income consumers. Something similar to Citi trend.", "replies": [{"id": "hrlzhlm", "text": "Do you want the frontage with Windows facing the parking lot? I think you could take 60' x 100' on either the front left or right, put aluminum storefront in. Maybe storage or a nightclub or gym in the back through the big door three small 20x100' units in the other side with a hallway for fire exits / loading on that side.\n\nFinding tenants is hard with Covid.\n\nGet a broker involved. Maybe you can do the work and then sell the other space to get your money out, or if you have enough capital maybe you become the landlord and lease the space out, or sell the whole site to an investor when it's all leased up. A local broker may know how to advise you.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "hrlxmt5", "text": "No, haven\u2019t close the deal yet, seller just sent me PSA last night, I\u2019m still doing my due diligence. Commercial deals are way more complicated than I thought, and the pressure is keeping me up at night lol.", "replies": [{"id": "hrm04om", "text": "I mean, the good news is that the price seems low compared to that alternative. The bad news is that walls aren't free.\n\nI'd be focused on finding other tenants that will work well with your concept because they can help draw foot traffic to your business. This might be another clothing store or shoe store. Id look into Cititrends to see if they strategically have stores near a specific type of business.", "replies": [{"id": "hrm0p2n", "text": "Probably a marijuana dispensary (if allowed in your state), fast food, convenience store, Gym, shoe store etc.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}, {"id": "hrmv20i", "text": "If it\u2019s been on the market for two years, you\u2019ll probably be able to extend due diligence a few times if needed. Bid it out to a few contractors ASAP though. Gypsum board assemblies, storefronts/doors, and HVAC will probably be biggest expenses. I\u2019d estimate $500-$1,000 per linear foot of walls, depending on HVAC configuration and tonnage, and loading bays/fire exits in back. If you split the space into thirds, probably around $150,000 - $400,000.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrna7c6", "text": "A building is built with a specific purpose in mind. Trying to make it do something it wasn't designed to do is expensive -- sometimes just as expensive as buying/building a property that fits your needs. If you were looking to get \"free\" space for your business by covering all the overhead of the building from tenants, keep looking.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hrns73f", "text": "Another option is storage or parcel lockers, as long the zoning and city permits. Other is for renting fir distribution, they don't  need much work and the returns are less but less changes needed.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hro0ade", "text": "The depth is going to be too much for a tenant sub 10k. Most will want 80-100 feet depth at max. \n\nDo you have an architect and retail broker ?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hronzu8", "text": "You should have an architect create a CAD survey plan that shows locations and sizing of all utilities first (water meter and line size (probably .5-2.0\"), fire suppression, existing restrooms and other improvements, existing electrical (200-1,200 amps), sewer size and location, etc. Utility sizing might largely dictate the cost. If you target a 20,000sf grocer that needs 1,600 amps and 2 inch water line that will be significantly more than leasing to a 20,000 thrift store. It would be $500k-$1m+ in Colorado, but labor and tap fees are very different in other regions.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]