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Let's say you were gifted a 5 year lease on a small warehouse. What would you do with that space? In fact, let's break it into two questions.
What would you do business wise to extract value out of it?
And how would you make use the space personally if you didn't make a business out of it?
How small? Depends.
I'm doing it. Again.
In Oakland we had a big section of the former Dutch Boy Paint factory. Beside the garage with my Ninja, we had 4 types of welding beside the biodiesel conversion station we built, beside tall storage racks, a large work space, 4 bedrooms, a big kitchen, made a rad bar, rolling gardens, and we had a huge hot tub in the parking lot that could fit 16 people. I directed animation and live-action projects, worked on websites and design, did a lot of Burning Man stuff, threw wild parties, was active with other SoFA artist warehouses, and was sometimes politically active. Also, I built a circus set in the field behind to shoot a film.
In NYC, Jeff Linnel (worked with robots on the Gravity movie) had a huge space for his animation company, Liquidesign, that he started after freelancing around town (how we met). In that space he had the animation studio section, 4 living quarters, and a big social space with kitchen. Great set up, a block south of Union Square.
Currently I've got a garage to work in, two basements, and a utility storage space at the media centre - all free of rent. I do a lot of favours for folks. The house basement had termites but that's been stopped and will be repaired (a big job) after the legal stuff settles - so I'll wait a bit to move the media centre stuff there to the eventual destination. That basement and garage are at Emma's and just yesterday we moved her new fridge in and the old one out - which when fixed will end up at the other basement, under the Nepalese restaurant, Hakka, a block from the heart of downtown Windsor - where I've been cleaning it up to be "The Lions' Den" studio and using it as a workshop since October on and off. Soon the tools will return to the garage-workshop and the space will be for creative projects (WindsorMediaProjects.com coming whenever I have time), teaching, community stuff, and have freedom action and newsletter meetings. But not until the sawdust is over - though soon I'll be decorating it for Santa Libertas, podcasts, and meetings. I look forward to letting my hands and back heal.
If I had an unlimited budget I'd get a bigger space downtown, and a big warehouse with farmland in the county and take ideas from the 3 things above plus other inspiring places and communities I've seen elsewhere.
Last weekend was Victoria Day weekend - and there was a freedom campout. I only made in on Sunday night for the fireworks. I've been there many times, but this time I was happy to hear they're going to make it more of a community space and have camping all the time and other stuff. Exciting stuff. Also, tomorrow is another freedom potluck at Emma's.
Personal and business blur for me. Perhaps I shouldn't let it, but it's worked for me. I've avoided registering and all the official nonsense. I've shunned credit cards since first year of college. I'm different by choice.
Depends upon location.
If it was in New York then it might be interesting to start a Japanese martial arts academy, and start a foot clan, or something.
Fool it with arcade games and pool tables, and a skate park.
Every ninja values individual privacy as a sacred, personal, human right.
My foot clan would wage war against the flock cams.
That's what I'd do with an empty warehouse in NYC.
I'd rent it to Chinese wholesalers and retire early.