Facilities FAQ

Info for navigating to and around Lowell Makes and being a good neighbor.

Have a question you think belongs here? Send an email to [email protected].

Getting to (and into) our new building

Where is the new building?
Our new address is 130 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA 01851. This is also our mailing address.

Where can I park?
You may park in any of the open spots in the lot except the three just to the right of our main entrance (which have signs and cones designating them for GoPuff-use only).

(For longtime members) Can I use my old key fob?
No – your blue key fob for Lee. St. will not work at Western Avenue
. You must transfer your membership to our new member management system, Nexudus, and get a new black key fob. Please retain your blue key fob and continue to use that to access Lee St. Once we have fully moved to Western Avenue, you can discard your blue fob. 

Respecting our neighbors

Lowell Makes is very excited about our new home on a campus with over 300 artists in the Western Avenue Studios and Lofts and Navigation Brewing. We share a parking lot, a loading dock, and a freight elevator and want to be respectful of that shared space. As new neighbors, we want to be considerate and build a positive relationship. Every Lowell Makes member represents our makerspace when they are on the Western Avenue campus.

Lowell Makes members should never:

  • Put trash in the Western Avenue dumpsters
  • Use Western Avenue carts
  • Leave doors propped open between the loading docks and the Western Avenue Studios
  • Leave messes in the parking lots or shared entrances
  • Wander the halls of Western Avenue Studios – especially after hours

Any member caught violating these rules will be suspended.

About the new space

What COVID-19 Restrictions are in place at Western Avenue?

  • Masks are recommended regardless of vaccination status, but only non-vaccinated members are required to wear a mask at all times. Please bear in mind that other members may ask you to wear one if you are working in close quarters, and instructors/shop captains may require masks for classes or meetups.

What is the visitor policy at Western Avenue?

  1. Guests at Lowell Makes must be attended by a member at all times.
  2. Guests may not use tools.
  3. All guests must fill out a liability waiver AND register via Nexudus. Hosting member should log in to Nexudus, click “My Account,” and scroll to Visitors at the bottom of the left column.

Can I use the freight elevator and where is it?

To access the elevator at Western Avenue you must pass through shared spaces – please be extra courteous when passing through these spaces, especially during business hours. We request that members use our MAIN entrance through the warehouse and up the stairs unless they are moving equipment or have an accessibility requirement and need to use the elevator. 

To access the elevator, come in through the white shed and head to the left, through the garages. The elevator is through a set of double doors, inside the farthest loading dock – it is bright red. Do not prop these doors.

Take the freight elevator to the second floor and make an immediate left. You are about to enter the offices of Design Point, a private business that holds a Lowell Makes membership and an SLA. They understand that their lobby is the only path to the elevator, but we want to be courteous about walking through, especially during business hours on weekdays. If you need to move a lot of equipment and it could cause a disturbance, please e-mail [email protected] so that we can give Design Point notice. 

Take a left in the Design Point lobby and head toward the white door – this opens into the hallway of our upstairs shops. 

Taking the trash out at Western Avenue

The dumpster is stored inside the warehouse area. It says “Crescio” and Lowell Makes on the outside. When you walk in it will be on your right. You’ll need to go into our warehouse space, unlock the interior garage door, and then unlock the smallest exterior garage door on the left. Please close all doors when you are done.

The trash is picked up on TUESDAY mornings. We will need volunteers to put the dumpster outside on Monday nights, and bring it back in on Tuesday. Please do your part to help manage the trash at Lowell Makes.  

Where is the _____ at Western Avenue?

Bathrooms – there are gendered bathrooms upstairs at Western Avenue, down the hallway past 3D Printing. We hope to have gender neutral bathrooms on the first floor when that is all set up. 

Kitchen – the kitchen is between the Classroom and the Conference Room. 

What is the WiFi at Western Avenue?

The WiFi network and password are written on the whiteboard in the classroom (upstairs) and posted on our New Member Wiki page.

What is the business on the first floor at Western Avenue? 

That is our tenant GoPuff! They will deliver delicious snacks to you at all hours of the day. If you want to order from them while you are at Western Avenue, enter 130 Western Avenue as your location and write a note asking them to deliver to the white shed/Lowell Makes.

Do we need money?

YES. Please continue to give to Lowell Makes and share our GoFundMe with your family, friends, and employers.

Whom do I contact for questions about _____?

  • Signing up on Nexudus – Ben Brown  
  • Teaching classes – Christy Matte
  • Fundraising/donations – Amy Watson