SLIDESHOW: Coworking office space to open in Chestnut Hill

Posted 10/19/16

by Kevin Dicciani

“We want to provide an incredibly pleasant, well-designed atmosphere, so that people feel they can work at a higher-level,” said Chris Plant, founder and president of …

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SLIDESHOW: Coworking office space to open in Chestnut Hill

Posted

by Kevin Dicciani

“We want to provide an incredibly pleasant, well-designed atmosphere, so that people feel they can work at a higher-level,” said Chris Plant, founder and president of Kismet Cowork, a coworking office space set to open at 12 W. Willow Grove Ave. in December.

Kismet Cowork will offer individuals or groups the ability to rent workspace in a shared and potentially collaborative environment. The building, located behind Balance Fitness at the same address, will be tailored to suit individuals or groups who either need office space or want to work in a professional setting, one that is affordable, free from distractions and conducive to productivity. It will be open to those who rent 24/7, 365 days a year.

Renters can choose from three different rental options: large, medium or small. The large space involves renting one of the site’s 12 private offices; the middle entails leasing a dedicated desk, which grants the renter a personal space for them to leave their computer as well as store their work in a file cabinet or a private locker; and the third tier, which Plant called “the coffee shop model,” grants professionals a floating membership wherein they can come in and choose to work from one of the site’s 36 desks made available for those members.

“We’re really trying to help redefine the way people work,” Plant said. “From the perspective of the Chestnut Hill community, you have a lot of professionals who are generally from an older, more mature demographic than what you get across the board downtown, and there’s a lot of discretionary decision-making that can be made by people about how they want to work, where they want to work, why, and around whom.”

The concept of coworking originated in San Francisco. Small businesses, freelancers and independent contractors looking to expand but having a limited financial overhead to do so all shared the same needs: conference space, printers, phone systems, Internet, and so forth. An idea then arose of a shared workspace where individuals could work independently or collaborate with others who share similar values in an environment designed to foster synergy.

As a board member of Culture Works of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit beneficiary-supported common good corporation, Plant has witnessed the success the organization has had in opening coworking spaces downtown to serve the arts and cultural sector of Philadelphia. He said its success inspired him to study the concept, and while doing so he realized there was a need for a coworking space in the neighborhood.

“What I’m looking to do is replicate that downtown entrepreneurial energy right here in Chestnut Hill, while at the same time never forgetting that I’m in the hospitality industry and that my job is to provide effective, clean, efficient space,” Plant said.

The shift in technology, coupled with the transitory state of the economy, makes the idea of a coworking office space an allure for independent contractors and small businesses, he said.

“Everybody in this new, highly transient economy of ours is trying to find ways to limit their bottom-line, and with the increasing reliance on mobile technologies, people don’t feel like they need to be sitting in an office everyday,” Plant said.

While the increase in mobile technology means that many professionals work remotely and are no longer confined to offices and cubicles, Plant said on occasion there may be a need to use a conference room or something else commonly found in a typical office. Yet, as a Realtor for Elfant Wissahickon Real Estate for 10 years, he said he can attest to how expensive commercial real estate can be. He said he has had multiple encounters in the past with people who wanted an office but were unable or unwilling to spend money on something they do not need to use every day.

“I’ve had 100 people walk into our office over the years and say, ‘I really just want a small room and a reception area and a bathroom, and I don’t want to sign a lease for a 1,500-square-foot space and pay $2,500 a month and also have to pay my bills and everything else on top of that,'” he said.

As such, by renting a coworking space, individuals and groups can get exactly what they need without having to worry about paying for extra expenses and extraneous space. Moreover, for those who are working on-the-go and alone, it allows people from different backgrounds and professions to work in a space that is potentially collaborative. Plant said that creativity and connections can flourish when two people who wouldn’t normally work next to another happen to meet and begin exchanging ideas.

“So many people are working on their own, and the reliance on technology and staring at computer screens leads to people frequently working alone in their homes and in coffee shops,” he said. “Coworking gives people the opportunity to be a part of a collaborative community, and so many wonderful things can happen because of that – so many friendships can develop and so many business relationships can develop.”

The site, the former location of Grove Self-storage, is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in the beginning of December. Plant said they have been using new and salvaged materials to construct the space. So far he said they have rebuilt 22 of the existing windows by hand, and they are currently working on building a newly constructed steel mezzanine.

“Whenever we can we’re seeking to use what was here, and from a design perspective, really make it an impressive, elevated space,” he said. “We’re going to put in what I think is going to end up being the best designed coworking space in all of Philadelphia, and I’m willing to test that model against the downtown versions of coworking as well.”

The word kismet is of Turkish origin and means “destiny, fate.” For Plant, the word is aligned with a concerted effort to always remain optimistic, to always believe that something positive can arrive by fortuity. In that sense, he said, the word perfectly encapsulates the concept of a coworking space, where something positive can happen when strangers meet by chance in a cooperative environment.

Displaying his commitment to optimism, Plant believes Kismet Cowork can work in other quasi-suburban neighborhoods, too, such as Ambler, Ardmore and Conshohocken. He hopes that Kismet Cowork can grow and expand to the areas, redefining the idea of how people work, one town at a time.

“In these quasi-suburban, commercial corridors there’s a ton of business that happens and a lot of people who have great commercial skill sets, and they’re going to need a place to work,” he said. “And I think that if it works in Chestnut Hill, there’s virtually no community like it where it might not work there as well.”

For more information, visit www.kismetcowork.com.

Kevin Dicciani can be reached at 215-248-8819 or kevin@chestnuthilllocal.com.

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