Elm Street Recording Moves Into Newly Rehabbed, 1,200 Sq Ft REO Town Space

When Lansing entrepreneur, Ryan Wert, opened Elm Street Recording in his home in Lansing’s REO Town in 2004, little did he know how much space the studio would actually take up.

The studio started in a few small rooms and gradually occupied more of the house until more space was necessary.

After a successful six years in business — with growing profits and clientele — Wert purchased the 1,200 square-foot home next door to expand Elm Street Recording.

“My wife [Megan] had to deal with clients walking in and out of our home,” laughs Wert. “After a while, it was pretty clear that we needed to commit and give Elm Street Recording its own space, and get a little of ours back.”

The new place, located at 218 Elm St. was condemned when they bought it, so the Werts have been busy painting, remodeling and refurbishing the new home into a professional studio space.

"We did everything from replacing rotting subfloor — I actually stepped through the floor in the kitchen at one point — to building new walls. It's now the studio and our old place is being reclaimed as living space."

Wert is also a pioneer in the revitalization of REO Town, investing at a time when there was no REO Art Alley or REO Eats project. “There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the REO Town area these days, and we’re just glad that it’s been our place of business for so long.”

Source: Ryan Wert, Elm Street Recording

Writer: Suban Nur Cooley 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie