Where are you moving to?
We’re moving to Market Square Mall (water side) between Big Shotz and Brooks Washburn Architecture. Our space will be about 1500 square feet with plenty of parking, access to downtown, and all the other amenities our members have come to love about our Market Street space.
Why are you moving?
Our lease in our current space is up, and we were at capacity. It’s hard to ask more people to join when you have six members and seven desks, so the decision had to be made to stay in our post-COVID holding pattern or make a move, so we’re making a move! It was great to have a spot to grow, and we wish the business that will be renting out the old Market Street spot great success as they move in!
Besides being bigger, what will be different about the new location?
Being able to work with an architect, we had the unique opportunity to build to suit. That means:
- a large room for coworking
- a ‘phone booth’ off the main room as an easy spot for private calls
- three 8′ by 9′ private offices
- A conference room that comfortably holds 12
- A kitchenette
- A bathroom with shower (there is also hallway access to the main part of the mall with additional bathrooms)
We’ll still have a laser printer, high-speed internet, parking, coffee/tea, adjustable desks/workstations, and useable technology (ex: keyboards, mics, computer monitors, etc.) Here’s the floorplan, in case you’re curious:
You mentioned renovating, but I’ve driven by the space and see there are construction materials all over. When will it be done?
Yup, you caught us! Construction is happening right now. We’ll open on August 1 with the main room, a way to make coffee/tea, and at least one office (serving as a makeshift conference room.) All construction will be done by October 1 (and offer minimal disruption to our members), after which we’ll have a party.
This sounds expensive. How much will memberships cost?
We have three flexible membership plans:
| Weekly – $49/week | Floating/Flex Monthly – $99/month | Full/Dedicated Monthly $199/month |
| – M-F Business Hours Access – Use of coworking space, phone booth, and conference room – Use whatever desk is open | – 24/7 Space Access – Use of coworking space, phone booth, and conference room – Dedicated desk – Sign on building and mailing address* | – 24/7 Space Access – Use of coworking space, phone booth, and conference room – Dedicated desk – Sign on building and mailing address* |
Weeks start on Mondays, but in terms of your monthly membership, it starts when you want. So if you want to come April 5 – May 5, that’s a month! And because coworking is month-to-month, you aren’t locked into a lease, can pause your membership, and otherwise enjoy the benefits of an office with built-in affordability and flexibility.
Isn’t this less than your current rates?
Yes, our goal with a bigger space and private offices is the cost-sharing will allow us to lower our prices. A big reason we wanted the grant was so we could serve a different and diverse business community in St. Lawrence County that is not being served by other commercial rental options.
Do you have hourly or daily rates?
Unfortunately, no, but we do allow renting the conference room on an hourly or daily basis ($30/hour or $150/day.)
How much are the private offices?
Private offices will be $550/month, including utilities, internet, trash, use of common spaces like kitchenette and conference room, and sign on the building/mailing address (with a six-month agreement.)
We’re excited to offer this option as we know many businesses must operate behind closed doors: financial planners, therapists, healing/health practitioners, private investigators, and more. They can now enjoy the benefits of coworking while in industries that require that privacy.
Can I take a call at my desk? Can I throw out the old yogurt in the fridge? I feel weird about sharing space.
In the age of Zoom and hybrid workplaces, we all take meetings at our desks. Tools like headphones, being considerate, and booking the conference room or phone booth ahead of time are great ways to keep the cost-sharing and social benefits of coworking without driving everyone crazy. Our community managers are on site and working in the space, too, which we find helps us be proactive, and we have procedures so no one has to post passive-aggressive breakroom notes to be heard.
This all sounds too good to be true. What’s the fine print?
To be honest, there isn’t any. You’ll need to sign a user agreement about space rules to keep everyone safe and to carry your business insurance for your property. While we have security cameras and haven’t had any theft since opening our first space in 2015, we advise everyone to take out a small policy for their property but will not require it. Note: we do have liability insurance on Anchorspace itself.
Is 24/7 access really 24/7?
Yes, we know that everyone works differently. (One of our members was a bartender and used to stop by after his shift to do a bit of work on his side business before heading home.) We just ask the last person to leave to ensure everything is locked up behind them.
Do I need to be an internet person to join Anchorspace?
Not at all. We’ve had tons of people without ‘internet jobs’ use our space:
- A restaurant used our space for HR functions and weekly manager meetings
- A smartphone repair guy set up shop once a week and let people drop off their devices for repair
- A mom came in as a way to get out of the house and get some work done (ex: addressing holiday cards and coordinating calendars)
- Someone who thought they hated working from home came in and realized they just hated their job, so got another one
- Several photographers, authors, and other professionals have used our space to hold workshops.
- A guy came in twice a week to use Anchorspace while he worked on his house until he could get it built enough to work from there
Think of Anchorspace as a flexible, neutral, accessible, easy-to-find space filled with all kinds of people. We’ve seen coworking people of all ages, races, genders, nationalities, and every other difference you can think of. But what they all have in common is needing a ‘third space’ aside from home and the other place they go a lot (work, gym, etc.)
Can I have a tour?
Absolutely! Join our email list to stay in touch about progress, or contact us any time after August 1!