Exiting from Future / Shelled Space?

[ETThompson]

Hi

I'm working on a mixed-use project with residential apartments and a future shelled retail space (likely restaurant). It will be a "warm dark shell" with no floor slab. It is just under 1500 sf and so likely would have 100 occupants (Assembly 15/sf, tables and chairs) in the future - but not in our current scope.

How are shelled spaces such as this treated in the code? We specifically are getting a comment about both doors swinging in the direction of travel. One door exits directly to the street, and it swings in the direction of travel. The second opens into a breezeway, and does not swing in the direction of travel. The exiting of the future space is up to the designer of that space, but it probably wouldn't be ideal to exit into the breezeway space (which is really an exterior corridor for the apartments). Our assumption is the future build-out would need to add a second door to the exterior. However it would not be too difficult to swing the second door also in the direction of travel, but I just wonder what the requirements are and where they are spelled out.

Thanks

 

[cda]

Some plan reviewer comment on it as a FYI

Did you label the space:
Future restaurant??

 

[ETThompson]

Yes, they referenced future in their comment so they know it is one. They say if it "will" be used as such, "must" swing in direction of travel. It sounds like they're requiring it now, even though the occupant load is pretty obviously not over 50 until it's built out...

I guess I'm also just wondering how (or if) the code addresses shelled spaces generally...

 

[jar546]

I'll add a comment based on my experience as a plans examiner and building code official.

With shell only buildings we never issued a certificate of occupancy. They were issued a permit but no type use, just construction type. Type use was a separate build out when tenants or owners decided to occupy and each of the tenant build out required a separate permit because it was a separate use and would have a CO issued based on that. The requirements for door swing were never an issue because the building was never allowed to be occupied other than construction and a CO was never issued for that permit as it did not meet the requirements of the code because of a lack of type use.

 

[mp25]

That's a nice heads up from the plan reviewer.
If you anticipate needing two exits from the space in the future and the direction to swing out, why not plan for it now? If you want to lessen the occupant load and it is likely that it will be retail, then call it future retail or office.
Although I don't think that adjusting exits at this stage is necessarily your responsibility, if those modifications cannot be done in the future, leasing out the space for that specific use might be difficult.

 

[ETThompson]

Thanks, good points all. It's helpful also to have the perspective of someone who's officiated over questions like this, but you'd think there would be something official in the code about how to handle, rather than what seems to be the case which is it's left up to the AHJ.

 

[Builder Bob]

All shells should be a certificate of completion and no certificate for occupancy allowed as they technically are not an occupancy. A general note should be added that required means of egress shall be verified at time of upfit..... Actually had a project where I noticed a potential egress issue but was told by political pressure from the BO at the time to permit it, I snuck in this verbage on the COC for the shell..... ten years went by and the project had to add an additional stairway that was not in the scope of the project when constructed when economic development finally sold the project... The county went from hating me ten years earlier to loving me ten years later because I protected their asses..

 

[mtlogcabin]

We only give a certificate of completion for shell projects and require exit lights with emergency illumination at the exit doors. Our thoughts are the space will only be occupied when being shone to a prospective tenant and the exit signs and emergency illumination are minimal requirements to aid someone if exiting the space during an event.

 

[ETThompson]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Mr. Inspector]

We make them classify the occupation of the tenant spaces and inspect to that and C. O. when done. They need emergency lighting and a rest room. The finished floor only needs to go to the restroom. Usually they don't know who will move in so they classify the empty tenant spaces B and if they make it a A or M later it's just a change of occupancy. If they have to add exits or anything else to comply with code they do it with the new permit.