This story is part of our December 2022 Innovation print issue. Click here.
San Joaquin Street in downtown Stockton is often bustling on warm fall nights. People gather to eat at local restaurants like Cast Iron Trading Company and listen to performances by local musicians playing in front of the outdoor crowd. But the night of October 20 is different. That night, the center of attraction is Huddle Cowork, celebrating its expansion to the first floor of the Belding Building.
The historic Belding Building, built in 1915, is a five-story structure named after Charles Belding, a farmer, businessman, and former mayor of Stockton. Recently renovated, the building is bustling with life as invited community members visit the hybrid coworking and event space at the corner of San Joaquin and Weber Avenue. Cast Iron hosts the evening. Art hangs along the walls and a podcast booth with an “On Air” sign signals the start of something new downtown.
Matt Amen, co-owner of Huddle Cowork, shares a heartfelt talk reflecting on his time with Huddle since 2016. Several times during the pandemic, when the shutdown interrupted the momentum of previous years, he wanted to give up the space, but watched for advice from his family on how to navigate forward.
“Once I had the courage to heal myself, I was able to encourage others around me to heal. I hope you inspire others around you to heal,” Amen said smiling at the crowd. “We have a lot to celebrate,” he says, calling Stocktonians “resilient, brave and sexy beings of love.”
Huddle wasn’t the only coworking space to lose members during the pandemic. These companies, which allow freelancers, remote employees and other workers not tethered to a physical location to pay for access to offices and other amenities, have been hailed as the innovative next step in the workplace. modern when they began to spread in the second half of the 2010s.
Huddle members include freelancers, creatives, and people who work in the nonprofit and tech sectors. (Photo courtesy of Huddle Cowork)
But the COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered both traditional offices and coworking spaces, sequestering millions of workers in their home offices for months at a stretch. Many of them realized they were just as comfortable in their home office as they were in a coworking space they had to pay for, leading to major losses in the industry. Most notably, booming multinational WeWork has gone into dramatic decline (documented in a podcast, documentary, and the book “The Cult of We”) and shut down dozens of sites.
There are now signs that the coworking sector may be picking up. Many workers never returned to the office after the pandemic shutdowns, and companies are allowing more positions to be fully remote. This has led to a significant increase in potential customers for coworking spaces, especially after pandemic restrictions were lifted and places for physical interaction and community were sought.
Although WeWork continues to close branches (it announced 40 upcoming closures last month), locally owned coworking spaces are proliferating in the Capital Region, building community and customer base by tapping into the creative, tech and social sectors. thriving nonprofits in the area. Many are taking advantage of the real estate available in the region’s urban downtowns, bringing life to once neglected neighborhoods. Leaders of these companies say their spaces foster collaboration and innovation that benefits everyone involved.
A promising future for Stockton
Operating Huddle in downtown Stockton is a milestone worth celebrating for Amen and co-owner Eric Bodary. Amen and Bodary have managed to maintain their membership roster during the pandemic by connecting members to business opportunities and resources with the City of Stockton. Non-profit organizations, some of which do not have their own physical offices, have been particularly supportive members. “Nonprofit organizations have kept us afloat. They needed space to work and we were flexible,” says Amen.
CENTRL Office’s downtown location in Sacramento has shared spaces and conference rooms where workers can meet and socialize. (Photo courtesy of CENTRL office)
Amen says the company has seen growth this year, with 27 of its 30 private offices filled in 2022. In addition to offices, Huddle Cowork has a podcast booth, an open-concept coworking space, a conference room and another event space with a stage. . The second floor open area features large windows overlooking the historic architecture of downtown Stockton.
The photography studio on the fourth floor offers natural lighting from windows along the east and north walls. “We call it Studio 419,” says Amen. The studio’s feedback on Peerspace (an Airbnb-like app for booking coworking spaces and event venues) has been positive.
“We want to be a conversation starter and add to that ecosystem of our community.”
Matt Amen, co-owner, Huddle Cowork
Amen also aims to provide an event venue for the wider community, including those who do not use Huddle’s coworking space. “We want to be a conversation starter and add to that ecosystem of our community – we want the space to be for the community,” he says.
A connected community in Sacramento
In downtown Sacramento, whose towering office buildings have seen a significant drop in occupancy rates since the pandemic shutdowns, another coworking space aims to cultivate a vibrant, connected community. Cowo Campus Founder and Creative Director Kuks Singh describes his space as a “boutique workspace, a friendly space where everyone can communicate and interact with each other. There are no barriers. »
Singh moved from London to Sacramento and launched Cowo Campus in 2018. His goal was to tap into Sacramento’s innovators and build a community around them. The original space started in Midtown before moving to downtown in 2019. The downtown location has hosted several events hosted by organizations including One Million Cups, SBDC, The Women of Sacramento, and National Association of Women Business Owners.
Cowo Campus aims to organize a core group of like-minded members, rather than depending on large numbers to fill a space. “We’re not about 50 or 100 members – we’re creatives. These are the places people want to go,” Singh says. It seems to be part of a new coworking trend in downtown Sacramento. “The next five to ten years are going to be good,” Singh says.
CENTRL Office, a Portland coworking company, opened its first branch in Sacramento this year. (Photo courtesy of CENTRL office)
Like Amen, Singh influences the community by helping local innovators and entrepreneurs. Singh is the go-to for the Cowo campus, providing information, contacts and referrals to its members. “We figure out how to make their business successful through creative tactics,” he says.
Currently, Cowo Campus offers workshops and promotes events, including Creative Thursdays on the first Thursday of every month. From photoshoots to podcasting, space is always on the move. “These are people I hang out with outside of work. We do everything together. They are all close to me,” Singh says. He has future plans to replicate the vision of the Cowo campus in Roseville.
Portland-style coworking in the capital
Sacramento got another innovative coworking space in March 2022, when Portland-based company CENTRL Office opened a branch downtown. With multiple locations in Portland and Los Angeles, CENTRL Office has been creating flexible space for freelancers, small teams, and startups since 2013.
“We want to operate multiple sites in Sacramento,” says Alex Hughes, founder of the CENTRL Office. “We found this building in the Opportunity Zone which was unique.” The Opportunity Zone in Downtown Sacramento is a program providing a federal tax incentive to invest in real estate projects and operate businesses located within the designated area.
Hughes partnered with Urban Development Partners in Portland to acquire the building and began construction during the pandemic. “We are gaining momentum. More housing is being delivered within five blocks of us downtown – the movement downtown is positive,” Hughes said.
The three-story building, which once housed the California Medical Association, includes several key amenities people look for in a workspace. The building is home to Cora Coffee and Loyal Legion, a brewery serving 99 beers from Northern California breweries. On the rooftop is Aurora, an event space with city views. “Our space still makes people feel like they’re in an office, but with easy access to flexible space in our neighborhood,” says Hughes.
CENTRL Office, a Portland coworking company, opened its first branch in Sacramento this year. (Photo courtesy of CENTRL office)
Hughes says coworking spaces no longer need to rely on an exclusively freelance clientele. “Initially, our clientele was creative agencies and startups. Now we have big business groups that want to be part of that vibe – to be with people who are starting something new,” he says. One of his clients, for example, is a company with teleworkers who wanted to meet in a dedicated workspace.
“These spaces become clubhouses – people rotate in and out. They work from home, but need to socialize without an office. Now they have couches and meeting tables,” says Hughes.
If these passionate owners of coworking spaces are to be believed, these sofas, meeting tables, conference rooms and event venues can be catalysts for growth in the Capital Region. Amen of Huddle says bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs and community organizers in one building can lead to real change in cities like Stockton. “We need to harness that positive energy of people who want to improve their community and guide them in the right direction,” he says. “If you love community and it’s your driving force, anything is possible.”
–
Stay up to date on business in the Capital Region: Subscribe to the Comstock newsletter today.
Comments are closed.