It is all systems go inside the former billiards hall at the corner of Fifth and Monterey Streets, as Greenhouse Coworking, South County and San Benito County’s first coworking space where people can rent a desk or private office by the hour, gets ready to open in downtown Gilroy.
Builders and staff are putting the finishing touches on the cavernous building that just last year was talked about by city hall as the possible site of a future downtown square. That idea has gone out the window as excitement grows for downtown’s latest addition with its light green walls, bright and airy interior and open-plan layout.
“It is just the space you need, when you need it,” said Becca King Reed, executive director of CMAP (Community Media Access Partnership), which will operate the space, to a group of visitors on Monday. A new venture for CMAP, the TV broadcaster partnered with Satellite Centers, which operates coworking spaces in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, among other locations to get Greenhouse Coworking up and running.
Over the last two weeks, local organizations, media and downtown neighbors have got a sneak peek at the state-of-the-art facility that aims to serve freelancers, homeworkers, entrepreneurs and commuters who want to shake up their weekly work schedule.
In addition to private offices, workstations, and conference room to rent by the hour, day, week or month, Greenhouse Coworking will offer 24-hour secure access, work address and PO Box rental and all the accoutrements associated with a modern office – professional copier, high-speed internet and free coffee.
According to Gilroy EDC, almost half of Gilroy commuters spend 30 minutes or more driving to work, about 15 percent spend more than 60 minutes. There are also nearly 900 Gilroy residents who work from home.
“Shared workspaces are becoming more and more popular,” said Tammy Brownlow, executive director of the Gilroy EDC. “We are also extremely excited to see CMAP located downtown. They are such a great resource, but their previous locations at Christopher High and Gavilan College put them a bit off the radar.”
The facility will also be new home of CMAP, known for broadcasting community access TV in south Santa Clara County and San Benito County.
Coworking members will have access for additional fee to all the services CMAP provides – bespoke production, affordable digital media equipment rental and training. Most intriguingly for creative folks in the region, there will also be a state-of-the-art studio, sound room and editing suite on site.
They are already accepting reservations for private offices and workstations.
