Springfield organization looks into creating ‘co-working space’

Springfield On the Move (SOM), a nonprofit downtown organization, is looking into potential sites and seeking feedback from independent workers such as artists, freelancers, telecommuters, designers, and professional service providers who may be interested in a co-working space in Springfield.

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2016-06-22 / Front Page Springfield organization looks into creating ‘co-working space’ By Tory Jones Bonenfant toryb@eagletimes.com SPRINGFIELD — Springfield On the Move (SOM), a nonprofit downtown organization, is looking into potential sites and seeking feedback from independent workers such as artists, freelancers, telecommuters, designers, and professional service providers who may be interested in a co-working space in Springfield. “We’ve had some really neat, innovative people out there with these kind of needs,” said Carol Lighthall, executive director of SOM. “Our hope is to pull people out of the woodwork, in a way.” The first step and the reason for the survey is to determine if there is a sufficient number of professionals in the Springfield area that would be interested in using the space, Lighthall said on Tuesday June 21. With that in mind, the organization has entered into an agreement with consultant Lars Torres, founder of Local 64 in Montpelier and the executive director of Generator Makerspace in Burlington. The purpose of that agreement is to determine the feasibility of creating the co-working space, she said. Torres and SOM are now enlisting the public’s help in completing a Co-Working Space Feasibility Study, which includes an online survey that will help determine the market for such a space in Springfield. “Response has been strong,” she said. SOM is exploring two potential sites in downtown Springfield, Lighthall said. Co-working spaces are usually on the second floor, she said. Lighthall said that co-working provides a shared work environment and also a socially designed space for interaction, which can help break the isolation that often comes from working at home or in a single office. It can also lower the costs of a Main Street presence while allowing professionals to have a place to work, connect to the Internet, access a conference room and meet with clients. While the numbers are flexible at this time, the estimated membership cost may be $75 per month for a membership, she said. “It gives someone nice stability to engage the local community. Plus, it’s cheaper [than renting office space],” she said. The feel of the space would be “like a coffee shop,” where people could bring in laptops to work in the space, she said. Working from a home office loses luster after a while, and this will help people connect while also having office space, Lighthall said. “At the end of the day, I think people enjoy being around other people, even in a quiet work setting,” she said. People from Springfield have been taking the survey, but the space, if established, would also be open to people from within about a half-hour commuting distance, such as Claremont. Lighthall said that Vermont Telephone Company would potentially partner with SOM to provide high-speed Internet access and phone lines. “We want it as wired up as we can get,” she said. The survey asks participants to provide information about their zip code, working status, typical commute time, preferred workplace environment and where the person typically works, valued features in a workspace, membership fees and accessibility. It also allows participants to write in suggestions. Lighthall said that at this time, both proprietors of the buildings SOM are considering are interested, and both are located within a “couple of blocks, in the middle of downtown.” The hours at the new coworking space would be flexible depending on need, and hours and responsibility for the space will be determined at a later date. The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce and SOM will also present a mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 at 3 Main St. in Springfield to ask for further creative feedback on the proposed workspace project. The survey will remain available until approximately June 30, Lighthall said. Lighthall said Torres would like to receive 50 responses to the survey. It is available here: http://ow.ly/eCkI300o51H Once the survey has been completed and feedback has been collected at the mixer, SOM will schedule another event to pinpoint specific answers to questions from all feedback, and then Torres will produce a final report for the organization. That report will help SOM determine feasibility for the project and come up with a business plan, Lighthall said. SOM is a nonprofit is a 501(c)3 and one of the state’s 24 designated downtown organizations. It works with property owners, businesses, citizens and town government to enhance Springfield’s downtown as an “attractive, desirable and economically viable destination for residents and visitors,” according to the organization’s website. Its members include local business owners, community leaders, local government and residents. For more information, call SOM at (802) 885-1527.