Coworking spaces in the Spokane region benefit from the influx of remote workers
When Sebastian Smith’s California employer was away until further notice during the pandemic, he decided to temporarily move to Spokane to be closer to the family.
Smith, who works in the financial industry, signed up for membership with Liberty Lake Coworking, which offers flexible office space, dedicated cubicles, private offices, and large team suites for remote workers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups.
“I got a little lonely working from home. The biggest thing is that I didn’t have any connections, ”said Smith. “We had our calls at 8am every day, but I still lacked that physical face-to-face communication.”
After joining Liberty Lake Coworking, Smith made connections with people who work in a variety of industries.
“I went to finance school and it was the only industry I knew. When I come here, I meet people who work in law, technology, and agriculture and I think, ‘Wow, these industries are cool,’ ”he said.
Smith is among several telecommuters seeking flexible workplaces as companies migrate to hybrid or remote work policies nationwide during the pandemic.
As a result, local coworking spaces are seeing increasing demand for workspaces and private offices. Some are even expanding to accommodate a growing membership base.
According to a study by CoworkingResources and Coworker.com, nearly 5 million people will be working in coworking spaces by 2024, a 158% increase over 2020.
“The trend we’re seeing is that companies are allowing their employees to work remotely,” says Ann Long, who co-founded Liberty Lake Coworking with her husband Steve. “Now people across the country are moving closer to their friends or family members and they have realized that they can have the work-life balance they have longed for.”
Liberty Lake Coworking, 23505 E. Appleway Ave., was about 30% occupancy when the pandemic hit the state early last year. As of January, the 12 private office spaces were occupied, Long said, adding that they still have space for dedicated desks.
“After COVID, business is doing very well for the coworking industry, which is great news for us,” said Long. “With the increase in remote work, large companies have increasingly shrunk their real estate portfolios. The combination of the increased number of teleworkers and the more agile employers to keep their talented employees – that has brought us tremendously forward. “
Liberty Lake Coworking members include individuals such as remote workers for global corporations, lawyers, therapists, and salespeople. Throughout the pandemic, it provided a workplace for court reporters who used the conference room to participate in remote litigation, and hosted “digital nomads,” who are remote workers who travel to different locations while doing online business .
“We see digital nomads traveling across the country, working in their mobile homes and traveling with their families. I let several of them get through and they’ll find a coworking space and hang out with us for a week or two, or up to a month, ”Long said. “… Having flexible office options is one of the many things our community members love.”
Coworking space owners are adapting to trends sparked by the pandemic by changing the design to meet member needs while introducing social distancing and hygiene practices to ensure safety.
Long said she is constantly evaluating the needs of the community and carefully monitoring trends to improve the overall member experience.
An unexpected change is creating space for members to participate in Zoom calls, she said.
“When we opened our coworking space, we never thought that ‘zoom rooms’ would be a necessary amenity,” said Long. “Today, more than 75% of our membership takes on multiple Zoom calls every day, and we don’t see that change.”
Other coworking operators benefit
Niche Coworking, located in the Saranac Building in downtown Spokane, is seeing an increase in requests for short-term, monthly leases for private office space.
“We’re full and have a waiting list of 10 names,” said Dana Oxford, community manager at Niche Coworking. “Even with regular office space, we are completely booked out. I’ve been here for six years and we were never completely full. “
Coworking spaces are a viable option for remote workers who are tired of working from home.
“Most people want to get out of the house and just want to go somewhere else, or they just want a change of scenery,” said Oxford. “My new tenant moved here from the West Side and just wants to meet people.”
The sharp rise in demand for coworking spaces after pandemic closings is surprising, added Oxford, who is also the property manager for the Saranac and Community buildings.
“I thought people were going to say ‘I want to work from home’ and not come in at all, but the exact opposite happened,” she said.
Most of the new people on Niche Coworking’s waiting list are local, which shows a national trend with residents of larger metropolitan areas moving to midsize cities like Spokane in search of affordability, more space, and a better quality of life.
Fellow coworking in downtown Spokane has also seen an increase in inquiries from entrepreneurs, said founder Luke Baumgarten.
Fellow coworking located in the Washington Cracker Co. Building on W. Pacific Ave. 304, had 80 members before the pandemic. The coworking space now has more than 84 members, Baumgarten said, adding that it has received requests from local companies considering a hybrid working model.
While Fellow Coworking’s community area has plenty of vacancies, there is a short waiting list for your own workspace and one for a private suite, Baumgarten added.
Coworking has been used by teleworkers for years. Because of this, Fellow Coworking has provided insight into the companies and people moving to Spokane through its members, Baumgarten said.
“Places like us saw the trend a few years before it hit hard during COVID,” he said. “It was a fascinating way to track people moving to Spokane.”
An expanding market
Baumgarten said the growing interest in the coworking space spurred the idea of opening a second location in the Spokane area.
“We have a total of 7,500 square feet and we’re underutilized, but I could see we’re getting closer,” he said.
Liberty Lake Coworking’s Long is opening a second location in an area previously used by Stay Alfred on the Sullivan Commons at 2818 N. Sullivan Road in the Spokane Valley.
“We have a waiting list here at (Liberty Lake Coworking) and we feel like there is still a lot of need, especially in the suburbs,” she said.
Long’s new 18,000 square meter coworking space will be part of Burbity Workspaces and is due to open later this year.
The new space will include private offices, suites for teams of up to 20 people, and ready-to-move suites for large companies with a needs of 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, Long said.
Additional amenities include a yoga room, fitness room, showers, an indoor function room and an outdoor function room. There will also be conference rooms and a large training room that can be rented, Long said.
Long aims to accommodate small tech startups, remote workers, freelancers, business owners, and more in the new spaces, and in return, encourage collaboration and communication.
“Work is where we all find we have the bulk of our social interactions. So we solve this problem with a dynamic community manager to engage the community and learn and network together, ”she said. “We just want to offer a vibrant community for small businesses and teleworkers and stay in touch with the community.”