Adam and Jamie were kicking the idea of a second ALB Tech location around for a while.  The biggest hurdle was finding a location that could match the traffic and visibility of the ALB Tech VCU location – open since 2007.   Digging through Craigslist one day in May, Jamie found a lead.  8150 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Mechanicsville, Virginia has always been in the Miller family.  Built in 1962 it has been a family dwelling as well as, get this, home to a Palm Reader.  In 2012 Pioneer Realty listed the space for retail use and their Craigslist post is what sparked Jamie’s interest.  He wasn’t too sure about the pictures, the place was pretty rough, but sent the link to Adam.  Adam was interested, so Jamie called Jesse Lennon at Pioneer Realty and set up a viewing.  Here are some pics from initial peek.

You can see the old, smelly burgundy carpet (which we later found to hide other issues), old hardware, and a wall of mirrors.  We both agreed that the large, open floor plan would translate into a great workspace, even if it needed a lot of work.   A deal was struck, and we were to take over the lease on June first!  Next up in Part Two we’ll take a look at the crummy old asphalt and giant dying tree that HAD to go so we could offer Mechanicsville residents the competitive computer, iPhone, mac, and on-site repairs ALB Tech has delivered to Richmond for years.