For Rent: Downtown Desk
Shared space gives own bosses office space
By Mark Multer Wausau Daily Herald
mmulter@wdhprint.com
A co-founder of a former downtown Wausau cybercafe is putting a professional spin on the idea of a community workspace.
Marcus Nelson has found a willing partner for his creative co-working space in Compass Properties, the real estate management company that operates Washington Square. Dubbed Citizen Desk, the open office environment is designed for independent entrepreneurs tired of working out of a busy coffee shop or a basement office.
“It’s basically to provide an opportunity for independent and freelance workers to have an office outside the typical home environment,” said Nelson, who helped start the former RockWater Cafe on First Street. “The grand scheme is to have several of them, but we want to see what the demand is for it first.”
Citizen Desk is scheduled to open July 15 in a 1,000-square-foot office on the fourth floor of Washington Square. The space has a clear view of Rib Mountain and The Dudley Tower, with room for six to eight desks, a meeting room and a kitchenette. Those looking for a semi-permanent setup can rent a desk for $175 a month, although anyone can stop in to access the Internet or share ideas.
“It’s a pretty cool concept. They’re doing it all over the country, a lot of metropolitan areas,” said Mark Craig, general manager of Compass Properties. “People are looking at ways to lease office space that might be a little more flexible and a little more affordable for small-business operators.”
A portion of the rent will fund office luxuries such as furniture, fresh flowers and a cleaning service, and necessities such as coffee, soda or bottled water. Nelson wants the space to have an artistic flair conducive to creative minds, networking opportunities and meetings with clients.
“We want stuff happening there every day of the week, but the market’s going to generate its own activity,” said Nelson, who designs Web sites and marketing campaigns through his one-man business, Superstarch. “We’ll provide the opportunity.”
Craig thinks the Wausau area has enough people of a similar mind to make the concept viable.
“At some point, you have to have a spot for meetings and employees,” he said. “I think more and more people want to transition out of their home office into an environment that has people they can bounce ideas off of, and I think it will do well.”