93 Octane has spread out in a new space on West Grace Street. Photos by Jonathan Spiers.
A gasoline-themed advertising agency has settled into its new downtown office.
93 Octane is up and running at 105 E. Grace St., beside the Kohlmann’s Neighborhood Market and Perly’s Restaurant and Delicatessen.
Owner John Lindner and his staff of four moved in last month from their previous location a couple of blocks away at 23 W. Broad St.
Most recently a frame shop, and a furniture store before that, the location befits the agency’s automobile analogy – the 1934 building originally housed the sales office for car dealership Richmond Motor Co.
Lindner said he was drawn to the space before learning about that history, though he acknowledged the connection as fortuitously fitting.
John Lindner opens up the interior garage door to a meeting space.
“Our goals were to create a space that was modern but also respectful of the history,” said Lindner, who purchased the building in 2013 through Shiloh Development Richmond LLC. City property records put the purchase at $265,000.
Overall, Lindner said he put just less than $1 million into up-fitting the two-story building, turning the bottom floor into the agency’s office area and dividing the upper floor into four apartments. He enlisted Johannas Design Group to design the interior; CK Bosworth Construction was the builder. The project qualified for historic tax credits.
The move upgrades 93 Octane’s square footage from about 2,100 to 3,500. The Grace Street office includes additional space – about 850 square feet – that is planned for future expansion or rent by a compatible tenant, such as a photographer, web designer or freelance worker, Lindner said.
In addition to new furniture, the office also features a surround stereo system, custom-made desks that convert from sitting to standing desks, a gas fireplace, a kitchen – and even a “Lethal Weapon 3” pinball machine. Lindner also installed the office’s main attraction: a closeable indoor garage door to allow for privacy during client meetings and pitches.
“A lot of advertising is very social, so I loved the idea of having a space where we could entertain clients,” Lindner said.
As for the apartments upstairs, Lindner has rented two of the four and is looking for more tenants. Two are single-bedrooms, and the others are two-bedrooms.
The agency is the latest addition to a corridor of Grace Street that has been on a hot streak in recent months. In addition to Kohlmann’s, which opened in June, Pop’s Market has opened in the ground-floor space of the Cokesbury building; TMI Consulting recently jumped up the street; and a sandwich shop is moving into a space at Grace and Fifth streets.
93 Octane has spread out in a new space on West Grace Street. Photos by Jonathan Spiers.
A gasoline-themed advertising agency has settled into its new downtown office.
93 Octane is up and running at 105 E. Grace St., beside the Kohlmann’s Neighborhood Market and Perly’s Restaurant and Delicatessen.
Owner John Lindner and his staff of four moved in last month from their previous location a couple of blocks away at 23 W. Broad St.
Most recently a frame shop, and a furniture store before that, the location befits the agency’s automobile analogy – the 1934 building originally housed the sales office for car dealership Richmond Motor Co.
Lindner said he was drawn to the space before learning about that history, though he acknowledged the connection as fortuitously fitting.
John Lindner opens up the interior garage door to a meeting space.
“Our goals were to create a space that was modern but also respectful of the history,” said Lindner, who purchased the building in 2013 through Shiloh Development Richmond LLC. City property records put the purchase at $265,000.
Overall, Lindner said he put just less than $1 million into up-fitting the two-story building, turning the bottom floor into the agency’s office area and dividing the upper floor into four apartments. He enlisted Johannas Design Group to design the interior; CK Bosworth Construction was the builder. The project qualified for historic tax credits.
The move upgrades 93 Octane’s square footage from about 2,100 to 3,500. The Grace Street office includes additional space – about 850 square feet – that is planned for future expansion or rent by a compatible tenant, such as a photographer, web designer or freelance worker, Lindner said.
In addition to new furniture, the office also features a surround stereo system, custom-made desks that convert from sitting to standing desks, a gas fireplace, a kitchen – and even a “Lethal Weapon 3” pinball machine. Lindner also installed the office’s main attraction: a closeable indoor garage door to allow for privacy during client meetings and pitches.
“A lot of advertising is very social, so I loved the idea of having a space where we could entertain clients,” Lindner said.
As for the apartments upstairs, Lindner has rented two of the four and is looking for more tenants. Two are single-bedrooms, and the others are two-bedrooms.
The agency is the latest addition to a corridor of Grace Street that has been on a hot streak in recent months. In addition to Kohlmann’s, which opened in June, Pop’s Market has opened in the ground-floor space of the Cokesbury building; TMI Consulting recently jumped up the street; and a sandwich shop is moving into a space at Grace and Fifth streets.
I love seeing all of the news coming from our new neighborhood! I walk past 93 Octane’s new space all the time and love what they’ve done in there. And, of course, it’s always great to hear of a local company expanding!