Entrepreneurs and other business-minded individuals may soon have a professional coworking space in downtown Chehalis as a partnership to bring a facility equipped with individual offices and a conference room moves forward.
The coworking space aims to encourage entrepreneurship and provide assistance to small businesses, consultants and independent professionals.
Coworking spaces provide a shared working environment. Those utilizing the space are typically not employed by the same organization.
The project would include desk space that could be rented by the day, week or month. Rent or lease rates have not yet been set. Randy Mueller, chief executive officer of the Port of Chehalis, said the rates will likely be more affordable than those in metro areas.
Other amenities would include high speed internet and WiFi, a printer and scanner with a set allowance of prints and a secured courtyard with seating and bicycle parking.
“There’s a lot of professionals working from home or traveling who don’t want to invest in an office themselves,” Annalee Tobey, the executive director of CCRT, told port commissioners at their Thursday meeting.
The coworking space would operate under a 2-year pilot program sponsored by the Port of Chehalis and CCRT. The port would acquire, furnish and maintain the building for the duration of the project, while CCRT would promote, operate and manage the coworking space.
Any revenue generated would first pay for the operating expenses, and then be deposited into a reserve fund for continued expenses. At the end of the project, any profits would be split between the partners. Any unpaid costs would also be split by the port and CCRT.
Matt Matayoshi, executive director of the Lewis Economic Development Council, said he believes there will be a demand for a coworking space.
“I’ve seen this in South Seattle and it was just amazing,” he said.
If the project moves forward, it would be the first coworking space in Lewis County.
“Really the idea is it’s a shared work space,” Mueller said. “You can come in and rent or lease a desk or a cubicle by the day or the week or the month. Most of the work is done in an open area where there are other professionals. The real benefit is the opportunity for collaboration.”
The earliest a coworking space could open is in six months, although Mueller said that all depends on if and when a building is purchased and how much work it would take to get the property ready.
Port commissioners discussed the purchase of a property at 478 N. Market Blvd., in Chehalis, as a potential space for the coworking program to be housed.
“It seems to be a suitable location, but it’s certainly not the only one,” Mueller said.
Commissioners discussed the purchase price during executive session. No decisions or actions were taken afterwards.
Commissioner Mark Giffey asked if the space would compete with other markets that rent office space.
Tobey said it serves a different purpose, something Mueller also agreed with.
The project is being spearheaded by CCRT’s economic restructuring committee.
The coworking space would be designed to operate without regular staff, utilizing online reservations and a keycode for access.
