I think you were lucky... in that the core group was both dedicated and persistant.

I've dealt with many (vanilla) organizations that tried to have similarly supported facilities... It's very hard to pull off.

So my advice, is if you try, you need a strong commitment from the members of the core group, perhaps even something contractual with a guaranteed payment and payback (if they dropout) schedule. Having a payback schedule (dependent on finding a replacement) seems to help people stay with it longer.

Just my two cents... I am known as the "pessimist" in my munch group on this one topic. I far prefer having a site that is privately owned and communally supported with work and equipment. But such folk, who own and have the space and are willing to open their facility (be it a home or garage or warehouse space) are admittedly few and far between.

Regardless, good luck and keep us all apprised of your progress. I like surprises.