Contract Negotiation

We are finding that bottle neck that can slow everything down in our endeavors is lease contract negotiation. The owner of the building has been perfectly agreeable with all of our requests.  We've made several changes to the lease document and have gone back and forth for approval several times.
It seems to be the last hump to get over before we feel like we are finally settled.
The types of things we are changing are dealing with occupancy percentages as it relates to utilities and other things of that nature. We've had a lot of help from friends in the commercial real estate business which has proved invaluable. The contract we were first handed has very different stipulations than the current document to be signed. These changes we would have likely never even suggested without that advise.

Now just to sign...

Build Out

I always thought that the idiom of sketching out plans on a napkin was kind of ridiculous, yet that's essentially what we did.
With the help of a friend we sketched out our perfect plan for a counseling office. Including these details:

Separate entrance and exit.
Small kitchenette.
Large offices with separate seating areas.
Waiting room.

It's about as close to ideal as I think we could get.
Construction has begun and should be finished by February 1.

Furniture and decor will be Katherine's fun next step.

Oak Grove

We decided on the building at Oak Grove Center. The location was ideal and the incentives made for an easy decision. The building is right across from a higher end retail shopping center (Laurelwood) and also next to the Macy's wing of a shopping mall.  There are a variety of restaurants close by as well.

Parking doesn't seem to be an issue as there in an underground garage on-site.

The ground floor of the building is occupied by a bank and some retail, upper floors are occupied primarily by professionals.