Explore Bike Share – Facebook
Explore Bike Share, the 600-bike system launching here in the spring is looking for permanent headquarters, as well as a temporary warehouse in the city.
Slated to be occupied for two or three months beginning in February, the temporary warehouse will serve as a bike and station build-out space in preparation for the initiative’s launching.
For the warehouse, the nonprofit is seeking a 20,000-square-foot space that is climate controlled and equipped with ample electricity and lighting, sufficient internet and cell services, a ground-floor entrance and bay door, space for bike workstations, and dumpster rental services.
The permanent headquarters, which will be occupied beginning in January, will house a maintenance shop with a full-time staff.
For this, Explore Bike Share is seeking a 6,000-square-foot space within one of the neighborhoods where the program is initially launching: Binghampton, Orange Mound, Midtown, Downtown, Uptown, and South Memphis.
Other specifications for the space include:
- 6,000 square feet minimum
- Central location within Explore Bike Share initial service area
- Ground-floor entrance with bay door
- Overnight parking for 2 vans
- Climate-controlled office space with conference room for 7 full-time employees
- Climate-controlled maintenance shop space with four work stations, preferably connected to office but able to segregate
- Space expansion opportunities
- Space for battery charging station
Real estate proposals can be sent to info@explorebikeshare.com though Friday, Nov. 3.
“Explore Bike Share has valued and prioritized transparency through all aspects of its journey, and this part of the process is no different,” Explore Bike Share board secretary, John Paul Shaffer said. “There is immense potential for activating spaces to build, operate, and maintain Memphis’ incoming fleet of bikes, and we want to make sure that everyone has the chance to share and seize the opportunity.”
Explore Bike Share is also in the process of interviewing candidates for its executive director. The selected director is expected to be announced sometime in November.
“The quality of responses to our call for an executive director has been overwhelming,” lead of the Explore Bike Share board hiring committee, Jaske Goff said. “We are confident that, among the pool of qualified candidates, we will hire a leader who will launch and cement Explore Bike Share as an equitable and easy-to-use transit option for Memphians.”
The bike-share system will launch here in the spring with 600 bikes, and in 2019 an additional 900 bikes will be added to the fleet.