One of my business partners has a commercial property that he is mismanaging and it is set off the road some and there is a couple thousand sq ft of mixed use that he simply is leaving empty, this is in a HCOL area and there has to be a better use for this than being empty (of course).  

I've had a mix of business professionals, travel nurses, and grad students, and most are pretty clean and respectful of shared spaces.One of the important things is to draft a clear rental agreement or house manual for people to follow.

This could be an investor who actually partners with you to help get you started, or an agent who knows investing and helps find a deal, or a mix of someone who invest, has a management company.. this will be up to you to determine but I strongly suggest spending serious time finding a great boots on the ground partner, and building trust and a good relationship with them.Hope this helpsI'm sure someone with more directly relevant experience will weigh inBest of luck,Ryan

What kind of bank accounts should I look at to keep my rentals operating like a business and not mixing it with my personal finances?

I have student and auto loans and I believe if I paid them off as quickly as possible it could actually hurt my lend-ability due to the mix of credit lines going down to multiple credit cards I pay off every month.I intend to purchase my first deal this year.

While I have experience with Residential and Investment property mortgages/loans, I have  not done any Commercial/Mixed-use loans before.

It consists of a mix of 5x10, 10x10, and 10x20 units. 

However I have heard mix things about me listing my own flip.

I'm a little unclear on the question.An HOA should have an insurance policy package that covers the general building, common areas, general liability, directors & officers coverage, worker's comp, and a mix of other things like non-hired auto and perhaps region specific things like flood or earthquake coverage. 

North Lawndale isnt hot area especially for a mixed use those are practically being given away free if they need work.