Collaborative Workspace to Spur Entrepreneurship in Apex

The Town's strong potential for entrepreneurship is coming to fruition.

APEX, NC – June 2017

A few years ago, research by Apex Economic Development discovered strong potential for Apex to recruit and grow segments of the information technology sector through entrepreneurship. Town staff and leadership began investigating even further possibilities to include a wide variety of start-up businesses.

Consider this about Apex:

• A young, talented, educated workforce – Check.
• A cool, quaint and vibrant downtown – Check.
• New amenities such as breweries and specialty eateries – Check.
• Walkable communities and first class parks – Check.
• Established business parks with nearly full occupancy – Check.

What’s missing in Apex for entrepreneurs? The right facility to house individuals and businesses in growth or start-up mode. The answer? Create a collaborative/co-working space that would fill that void and complement the successful models that currently exist in the Triangle.

Fast forward to today and Apex is officially dipping its toe in to the co-working world. After months of continued research, which included interviews with managers and operators of co-working spaces in the Triangle, interviews with tenants or “members” of these facilities, exploring the inventory of potential space for co-working in Apex, and networking to find just the right partner to manage and operate the effort, co-working space in Apex is becoming a reality.

The proposed facility, to be called Coworking Station Apex, will occupy approximately 2,500 feet on the second floor of a building in the heart of downtown Apex on North Salem Street. The building owners, who operate two businesses out of the first floor space, are teaming up with Coworking Station LLC to create the right environment for co-working. In turn, the Town has entered into an agreement with Coworking Station LLC to provide assistance for initial renovations and infrastructure needs. The planned space will have seven office suites, six small offices, a conference room, restrooms, a kitchen and open “café” space.

If the name Coworking Station LLC sounds familiar, it should. They also manage and operate Coworking Station Holly Springs, which has been successfully in business since April 2016. Managers of both facilities plan to offer members a dual membership for access to either facility.

While no formal opening date has been set, it is hoped that Coworking Station Apex will be operational in early 2018. In the meantime, Apex Economic Development is continuing to field inquiries for co-working space and will be involved in the on-going marketing and success measurements of the initiative to ensure its long-term presence and sustainability. In the end, Apex intends to assist the businesses that start at the co-working facility find their future, permanent locations within town limits, thus fulfilling the mission of Apex Economic Development to promote local job creation and capital investment.