After the first few weekends, we got the place cleaned out (stuff either pitched, craigslisted, or stored in a Pod on the driveway.) And renovation began!
The center wall went up first
We built the wall in place, since the ceiling joists were 10’+ high and we had restricted space on the garage floor to work with the studs. The thing is definitely sturdy, and probably one of the straightest walls in the house.
Also framed-in the HVAC, as well as an extra storage area next to the interior garage door, with a recessed area for an extra frig.
Next, we ran all the electric and insulation, installed some doors, and finished a good bit of the drywall. We're concentrating on the interior room before we hit the workspace. Haven’t yet decided on the ceiling and floor options. I'll just use an epoxy concrete paint on the workspace floor, but I’m thinking of a floating floor in the gym/bonus room.