17 feet above the grid? Takes the term "dropped ceiling" to a whole 'nother level.
What I really hate is when the grid is 3" below the structural ceiling. GRRRR.
Not trying to derail the subject, just amazed that someone thought that much wasted space was a good idea.
I have a regular customer that occupies a space that was a warehouse. Picture a Home Depot with ceilings dropped down to 8 feet. Fortunately not all of the space is 20 feet to the roof. Around the perimeter there is some space utilized by the floor above under which I ran most of my cable. Fortunately also, there were some unused hanger wires down from the roof trusses from a previous ceiling that I was able to use. If I had to use a lift after the ceiling was installed, it would have required taking apart the ceiling in a lot of places in order to get the lift up through to the roof height. Something the OP hasn't mentioned. Big money.
The original HID high bay lighting is still there. I'm one if the few people who knows where the breakers are to turn them on which makes it real nice to work above the ceiling.
-Hal
