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Tenant Space — Commercial Build-Out

Tenant Space — Commercial Build-Out

This project came from a repeat client — a property owner in Powell with a vacant commercial space that needed to be brought back to a clean, rentable condition. The space had previously been occupied by a retail tenant who used two adjoining storefronts as a single operation, connected by large openings fitted with heavy overhead rollup fire doors. When that tenant moved out, the landlord needed the space reset — gutted, repaired, and finished to a market-ready shell so it could be listed for the next occupant.

Commercial tenant space work is some of the most common renovation work in the industry, but that doesn't make it simple. What the previous tenant leaves behind is rarely clean, rarely code-compliant, and rarely in a condition that's ready for the next use. iSpec served as general contractor on the project, handling demolition, CMU block infill, interior drywall, electrical, minor plumbing, and finish work throughout. A separate glazing contractor handled the new storefront system. The goal was straightforward: deliver a blank canvas that any incoming tenant could build out for their own use without inheriting the previous layout or its problems. The project took approximately two weeks.

Before

The space showed its history. The two-storefront configuration left large openings in the shared wall, each fitted with overhead rollup fire doors that were no longer needed. The previous tenant had built a full-length showcase wall behind the existing storefront glazing — used to create a showcase display area — that blocked natural light from reaching the retail floor. Inside, the previous tenant's layout included a break room and office separated from the retail floor by interior partition walls — all of which were coming out. The existing drywall had damage and deterioration throughout, and a CMU block pass-through opening between the two former units required infill to restore a solid wall. Plumbing fixtures from the old break room needed to be removed and the lines capped.

During

Demo came first. The overhead rollup fire doors were removed from the openings between the two storefronts, and the interior partition walls separating the old break room and office from the retail floor were taken down. The full aluminum and glass storefront glazing system was stripped from the front facade, the framing cleared, and the openings prepared for the glazing sub to install the new system. With the old glazing out, the scale of the storefront work became visible — full-height openings running the length of the front of the building, all of which needed to be properly framed and detailed before the new glass went in.

With the space opened up, the CMU block infill work began in the rear — new block coursed in and mortared to fill the opening flush with the existing wall, then furred out and drywalled to match the finished interior plane. Interior walls throughout were repaired or replaced with new drywall, and the ceiling was patched and finished to a smooth, paintable surface.

On the electrical side, wiring that had served the removed break room and office walls was rolled back to junction boxes — left accessible and ready for the next tenant to tie into rather than being fully removed. Plumbing lines from the old break room fixtures were capped. Every trade worked in sequence to keep the two-week timeline on track without creating rework for the next crew.

After

The finished space is exactly what a tenant space renovation should produce — an open, clean commercial shell with smooth painted walls, a finished ceiling, updated lighting, and a clear concrete floor ready for the next build-out. The new storefront glazing lets natural light run deep into the space, and every interior surface is patched, painted, and smooth with no trace of the previous tenant's layout.

The electrical is rolled back to junction boxes, ready for whatever configuration the incoming tenant needs. The plumbing is capped and clean. This is the kind of work that sets a project up for success — a tenant coming into a properly renovated shell can focus their build-out budget on the things that are specific to their business, not on fixing what the last occupant left behind.