But you do want to make sure the 3 phase is available in future for your speculative development plans.

For what you are thinking, you just need to make sure there are 3 high voltage wires above the transformers. On a pole line near or on your property line. That way you can feed primary voltage underground to a big 3 phase pad mounted transformer and possibly other equipment that would in turn feed a large shopping center.

My building next door has 3 phase for the body shop. I think they both hook up to the same place.

Perfect

You’re good.

I was just pointing out that if transformers (even entire poles) sit idle, the electric company can remove those as idle facilities.

One example of that around here is when citrus farmers stop service on electric wind machines. The electric company is obligated to take down transformers and poles if they only serve that that one service. After a period of time. Sometimes to put those poles and transformers back up at a later date could have six figure construction cost from electric company. Customers can pay “stand by” fees to keep that from happening if they chose.

Joel just a thought, you can leave all the 3 phase wiring in place without hooking it back up or paying for it and it will be there if you ever change your mind. Just hook up a single line and meter for your use. After working as a lineman for 40 years I will tell you this happens quite often on commercial buildings.

Mike

Exactly what? The OP& his utility already has 3 phase in place, there are no additional costs to anybody, he just has to decide which service serves his needs best in the future. my understanding from the utility perspective, they prefer three phase, as that is what comes out of the power plant, and with 3 phase loads, they don't have to deal with balancing the loads as much, just collect the money.

Joel....look at the power pole closest to this building, and see if it has transformers on it. If it has 2 transformers, there is a strong possibility that the power company can give you 200 amp single phase service by just running a new service line to the building. If it has high voltage lines and no transformers, the power company probably took them down and just left the pole and lines to hold the right of way. They can easily hang a new pot and run a service. If they can't. second 70 and I can! You can get your electrician to install a 200 amp meter base and 200 amp breaker panel inside if the inside single phase panel doesn't already exist. If you have a Fluke meter, you can tie the ends of the circuits together in the breaker panel, and go to each fixture and ring them out. You can set the Fluke meter to audible tone ohm setting, and not have to look at the meter to know if they ring out. I see your point of not wanting to spend a lot of money for 3 phase service you will never use in an office/storage space. Let the next owner do that after the aforementioned bulldozer is done....lol.

I have an update for you. I met over there with a licenced electrician to formulate a game plan. He talked to the electric coooperative. They didn't want anything, just let them know when we are ready. The electrician wanted to rip out all the old panels and meter sockets and conduit and cables, and start from scratch. I asked him to back off on that idea, we will replace what is shot, and reuse what is sensible and safe and economical to reuse.
So he is replacing the meter socket with a new one, and installing an adjacent master cutoff switch on the outside of the building. The meter socket will have two sets of output lugs, one for the main building, and one for the ex-car wash/garage. We will abandon the main cutoff switch and both panels that are in the basement. The new meter socket and main cutoff switch will have a new conduit going up into the attic and over and down to the existing service panel in the upstairs back of the building. There is two panels there, one feeds off of the other. Any circuits that were run off of the panels in the basement are either being abandoned, or they are going to be run up to the panel upstairs. They are planning to start on that next week sometime.
The electric co-op says we are going to stay with the three-phase service, but they no longer have a larger meter charge than single phase, so I have no issue with that.
I ran an extension cord over there a couple weeks ago from my adjacent building, about 350 ft of cord, and we got a furnace running in there and some temporary lights. My handyman guy ripped out the coolers, and removed all of the gas station control equipment and panels from inside the building, removed the conduit and wires feeding them, as well as the wiring that was feeding the walk-in cooler and the walk-in freezer.
Today I went over there with a helper to identify all the circuits. We ran a generator outside, and took an extension cord and cut off the female end, and plugged the male end into the generator. We ran it in through a hole in the wall where conduit had been removed. We took the neutral from the generator cord and hooked it into the neutral bar of the panel upstairs. Then with the breakers all turned off, we took the hot wire and touched the circuit breaker screw on each circuit one at a time. We simultaneously used one of those little current checking sticks and ran around to each outlet and fixture and stuff. And turned on light switches. Most of the lights worked when we powered them up through the breaker. We were able to map out the circuit breakers and label everything and create a chart. Everything that is no longer going to be used was removed from the breaker. So that effort is going to save the electrician a lot of time and save me some bucks.

The electrician looked over our work late this afternoon and gave it his blessing. He is going to run a circuit down into the basement for some lights and an outlet. The furnace circuit is already in the panel upstairs, and so is the sump pump.

Once we started haggling over the scope of work, I agreed to pay him on a time & material basis rather than a lump sum bid. As long as they don't goof around, I think that will work out best in this circumstance. I'll let you know how it comes out. Thanks for all of your help and suggestions!

Sounds like you're getting somewhere with it now.
It doesn't look too bad for an abandoned building, from those 2 pics anyway.

Maybe you can pay him with one of your gift cards. Lol

.

Now you're thinking!

It's interesting on the monthly meter charge. last time I had looked at this several years back, it was $7 a month for single phase commercial, and $49 a month for three phase if I remember right. Now it's $20 a month for either one.

Interesting... how different areas to different things.

Is their kWh rate the same for 3ph vs 1ph ?

This is a business rate either way.