Rubb Buildings: Never an Empty Space

When businesses close, the inevitable result — at least with conventional construction — is an empty building. Some amount of vacant property is an expected and critical part of the real estate market, but when buyers are scarce the prospect of relocating a business location can be an enormous financial burden. On the other hand, as we noted in the story of the United Airlines Hangar in Boston, a multi-purpose and relocatable building developed by Rubb can be a huge asset when a particular building application is no longer desired at a given site.

A story about revitalization of vacant retail buildings in southeast Texas reminded us of the key differences both between the industrial and commercial building markets, and between our buildings and more conventional structures. In this story, a small town faces the challenge of what to do with the empty structures, as well as contend with the lack of tax revenue generated by vacant buildings. The solution, provided by a combination of tax incentives and creative new businesses, is to repurpose the buildings for other uses.

Where one small town succeeds, other cities struggle to fill the empty space. And while commercial buildings face their own challenges, the situation is often even more tricky with industrial buildings, where costs for repurposing are high and cost competitive with new construction — a situation that fuels yet more building inventory.

From the building owner’s perspective, ownership of a Rubb building is a lasting value no matter the current real estate market. Rubb buildings can last forever in one location, or be moved multiple times in their life. They can be assembled in the most extreme environments on earth or in busy port terminals in active cities. If a leased property sells, or if financial reasons make relocating a facility desirable, a Rubb building can be moved with a fraction of the typical cost of selling an existing property and repurposing or building anew.