TechShop RDU Closing

... in 4 days.  Very sad.  Messes up a number of projects Ol' Backwoods is  working on.  Oh well.

I received this email today:
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Greetings to all members of the RDU maker community.

It is with sadness that I am writing to let you know that we will be closing TechShop Raleigh-Durham effective Saturday, April 20, 2013. Amazing people and projects have come together over the past several years, and it has been a joy to see skills developed and dreams come true. Unfortunately, we have not reached membership or revenue numbers that will allow us to keep this location open.

Please know this is not a decision we have made lightly. In the sixteen months since TechShop, Inc. took ownership, the company has made significant investments to upgrade both the building and equipment. However, in order to generate the number of members needed to maintain the facilities and compensate our talented staff, it has become apparent that we need to be situated somewhere that is accessible for many more people than the current location serves. Offering a true community experience also requires openness in a physical workspace, something we do not have in the current RDU building.

This has been an extremely difficult decision for our company and board of directors to make. We consider the RDU members and staff to be part of the TechShop family, and we would like nothing more than to have you continue the pursuit of your dreams at a future TechShop location near you.

Important Information: Refunds and Store Hours Refunds will be provided for the unused portion of your membership and unused classes. You will receive a letter within ten days from today, listing the specific amounts of those refunds along with further information on the processing of those refunds.

TechShop RDU Reduced Member Hours Tuesday, April 16 10am - 10pm   Wednesday, April 17    10am - 10pm   Thursday, April 18 10am - 10pm   Friday, April 19 10am - 5pm   Saturday, April 20 10am - 5pm NOTE: This is the last day TechShop is open for member projects

We realize that not everyone will be able to pick up personal items from Member Storage in this timeframe. We will make additional dates and hours available for members to remove these items.

TechShop RDU Member Storage Pickup Monday, April 22 11am - 7pm   Tuesday, April 23 11am - 7pm   Wednesday, April 24    11am - 7pm   Thursday, April 25 11am - 7pm   Friday, April 26 11am - 7pm   Saturday, April 27 11am - 7pm   Sunday, April 28 11am - 7pm

Sincerely, Mark Hatch CEO, TechShop, Inc.        -- UPDATE: What can replace TechShop in the Research Triangle Park Area of North Carolina? Answer: not a whole lot.  I will be building a list here. Durham Splatspace -- anybody know if they have equipment?  Their website was unhelpful. NC State has a 3D Printing and Laser Cutter lab for students & faculty...  Anybody know anything else?