The newest place to do it all in Coral Gables

Paseo de la Riviera offers a multidimensional experience for locals, residents, and visitors of beautiful Coral Gables. Contemporary lifestyle living at THesis Residences, landmark THesis Hotel, elevated pool decks, chef-driven restaurants, inspiring community events, and focus-friendly working spaces all under the comfort of one roof.

NRI is dedicated to improving the communities in which it serves by being an environmental leader and committing to sustainability. NRI has achieved LEED certification at PASEO.

They are known as flex spaces or shared office spaces or coworking spaces, but regardless of the name the concept is the same: An office complex configured into a variety of smaller spaces, with short term leases and shared facilities, such as kitchens, conference rooms and office support equipment. They can accommodate anything from a tiny startup to a division of a major corporation. They offer low costs and flexibility.

It started in Coral Gables in 2000 with Darby Technology Centers – the first shared-workspace environment in the city. In the two decades since then, a slew of coworking companies have sprouted in the Gables. “It’s a really good incubator for new companies coming to market that are still under the radar,” says Carolina Rendeiro, who launched the Darby center at 2000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. “They take an office for a short-term agreement and then they’re able to test the market out very quietly.”

Popularized by WeWork, which has two offices on Giralda Avenue, coworking spaces are becoming the norm for many companies, from start-ups to multinationals. “It’s really about flexibility, and about reducing your footprint,” says Rishi Kapoor, whose firm Location Ventures this year launched Forum on Alhambra Circle. “Companies just don’t want to commit to long-term leases if they don’t have to.” Besides the standard amenities, Kapoor’s Forum provides businesses services such as marketing and accounting.

Shared workspaces also benefit the growth of the business community by offering low-cost entry points for startups that want to be based in the Gables. “I love that we have these spaces here because Coral Gables does not allow home-based businesses,” says Mark Trowbridge, president and CEO of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. “If you’re not ready to go from the germination of an idea to a fully fleshed-out business, this gives you a runway to do that. I think people will always value a Coral Gables business address.”

Besides providing a local address, coworking spaces have other benefits that businesses can’t get from traditional office space. “It’s the state-of-the-art technology that most of the time, within your own small business, you can’t afford to have,” said Rendeiro, who is now the chief marketing/development officer of Connect2Global, which helps organizations expand their global brands. Since there are so many coworking spaces to choose from in the Gables, it comes down to which is best for your business model. Some, like Office Edge, cater to small businesses that are already established; some, like Pipeline, are entrepreneurial-focused; others are a hybrid. WeWork, for example, provides everything from simple access to shared, open workspaces to several floors; it currently rents a 220-person division to telecom giant Millicom.

“We have some creative and some tech [firms], but our soft spot is professional firms in law and finance,” says Laura Kozelouzek, CEO and founder of Quest Workspaces. Taking that specialization one step further is ESQ. suites, which focuses entirely on lawyers.

The move away from traditional office space to flex space has, of course, been accelerated by the coronavirus. With many companies realizing that working remotely is possible, some are looking to downsize offices and move into shared workspaces. “Companies with long term agreements are much more desirable to get into short term situations, say six months instead of three years, to be able to scale up or scale down at a later time,” says Phillipe Houdard, founder and CEO of Pipeline. “This flexibility is very important and is at the core of our business.”

Quest Workspaces

2525 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. SUITE 300. 305.615.2182 2000 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. SUITE 600. 305.363.1809

With two locations in downtown Coral Gables, Quest offers turnkey private offices that come with a number of amenities, such as garage parking, administrative support, unlimited coffee, access to a gym, and networking and wellness events. All you have to do is focus on growing your business. And when you need more space than a private office, you can purchase a monthly meeting room package, priced at $149 for five hours, $249 for 10 hours and $449 for 20 hours.

While some of its clients are small tech and design firms, most provide professional services. For this reason, their individual offices are walled and private, with little “open architecture” or glass walls. If you don’t want a physical office in one of their Gables locations, Quest offers virtual services. For that desired Gables business address, a mailbox costs $99 per month and includes administrative assistance, discounts on meeting rooms and day offices, and, most importantly, complimentary café use. For another $50, entrepreneurs can add a phone plan that includes a local phone number, calls answered in the company’s name, and call forwarding.

Pipeline is a flexible workspace designed to attract small, creative companies, from startups to more established businesses. It has an edgy vibe, with everything from shared “flex space” (open your laptop and start working in any open space); to “dedicated desks,” which means a tiny, one-person room; to private office suites for up to six people. Most of the space is separated by glass walls, for a modern, futuristic feel. More than 200 small companies call it home, 50 of them in private suites.

The $199 monthly flex space membership is optimal for individuals or teams who don’t need to leave items overnight. The smallest monthly lockable space – the “dedicated desk” – goes for $449 monthly. Pricing for private suites starts at $649 per month. Private offices vary in size and can accommodate up to six people.

Pipeline also offers virtual offices for $99/month, for that coveted Gables address, local phone number and access to conference rooms and receptionist services. The office space is open 24/7, so tenants, both virtual and physical, can work whenever. And if you’re working 24/7, at least there’s gourmet coffee.

Forum

One of the more recent additions to the Coral Gables coworking scene, Forum is a collaborative environment with a kitchen, lounge, and conference rooms of varying sizes. It is located on the first floor of Alhambra Circle, so feels grounded. Their conference rooms include “Parley,” their smallest for four people, “Roundtable” with 50 additional square feet, and “Council,” a large space that sits eight to 10 people.

The Forum space is rented as memberships, starting at $350/ month for the “nomads” who just need a space to work. This includes meeting room credits, printing room credits, amenities like networking events and seminars, and services like high speed internet and consulting services. For $500 a month, “reserved desks” provide a small, lockable space to work. And starting at $800 monthly, business owners can have a private suite for one, two or more workers. Forum is also located in the office building/headquarters of owner Venture Locations, which houses numerous business support services, such as marketing, accounting, graphics, legal, web design, etc. These are available to clients on an a la carte basis.

Wework

2222 PONCE DE LEON BLVD. 305.363.4997

255 GIRALDA AVE., 5TH FLOOR. 305.250.2832

One of the best-known workspaces is WeWork, with two locations in the downtown: One on Giralda Avenue and the other next door on the corner of Giralda and Ponce de Leon. Both locations have common areas, meeting rooms, lecture events, Wi-Fi, phone booths for a quiet place to take a call, and kitchens stocked with cutlery, cups and condiments. 255 Giralda has additional amenities like a wellness room, a bike storage rack, and an outdoor balcony and rooftop space where you can have coffee or lunch – or even squeeze in a quick yoga practice.

The main difference between the two locations is pricing, with the newer and more expansive 255 Giralda location slightly more expensive. There are three different types of workspaces in both locations: “Hot Desks” for the solo entrepreneur, with access to vacant desks in common areas ($340 vs. $425); Dedicated Desks in shared, lockable offices ($520 vs. $680); and private offices ($1200 vs. $1,380 for two persons).

WeWork prides itself on its mix of larger, established firms (Kayak, Millicom) that want a shared, interactive environment with smaller entrepreneurs and startups.

ESQ.SUITES

121 ALHAMBRA PLAZA, SUITE 1500. 844.377.1234

“With the doubtful return to water cooler gatherings or office life in general, what will law firms look like for the rest of 2020 and beyond?” That is the question posed – and answered – by ESQ. suites, a shared workspace for lawyers and legal professionals only. Located on the 15th floor of what is arguably the most prestigious office building in the city – Alhambra Towers – ESQ.suites has a litigation war room, multiple conference rooms and a parking garage for tenants and visitors. It also has 23 suites with stunning views, which they offer starting at $1,250 per month.

If you are looking for something less permanent, the workspace has day offices for rent for $50 per hour. Virtual office members who don’t need a physical office space, but want a Gables work address, have access to the conference rooms, also $50 per hour. The private and day offices are designed for individual attorneys, not a team, but lawyers are allowed to share a space with a paralegal. Launched just two years ago, the idea here is for easy networking within the legal profession, including cross-specialty referrals.

Regus

2332

GALIANO ST., 2ND FLOOR. 305.728.7000 1 ALHAMBRA PLAZA (COLUMBUS CENTER). 786.749.2200

Regus is one of the oldest and best-known brands in coworking spaces, founded in Belgium in 1989 to provide “serviced offices,” business lounges and conferencing facilities. It has two locations in downtown Gables: One in the Colonnade building and the other in the penthouse of Columbus Center off Alhambra. Both locations have office spaces for teams, coworking spaces for individuals and virtual office memberships. Combined, Regus has 148 private offices, 18 coworking desks and six meeting rooms. Private office space starts at $270 per person per month, and a virtual office is $56 per month. There is also the “office membership” option starting at $207 per month, which provides offices for a specific number of days each month. The bang here is that clients have access to Regus offices for the day anywhere in their extensive international network.

Office Edge

4000

PONCE DE LEON BLVD., SUITE 470. 305.777.0200

In the Gables since 2002, Office Edge is located in The Collection building at the intersection of Bird Road and Ponce de Leon, walkable to the Shops at Merrick Park. It offers both turn-key executive suites and virtual offices in a traditional office environment. Suites vary in size and include a desk, chair, high-speed internet and side chairs for meetings. Designed for the business owners who want to keep their overhead low and have a professional space to conduct meetings, Office Edge offers a virtual assistant package with live receptionist, bookkeeping, data entry, and “follow me communications” that keep clients in touch with messaging, appointments, etc. Conference rooms are available to book for meetings and can accommodate up to 16 people. Ample garage and street parking available. All pricing is based on customizable packages.

Platinum Business Center

1600 PONCE DE LEON BLVD., 10TH FLOOR. 786.350.1200

Founded in 2010, Platinum Business Center is located in the North Gables business corridor in a modern, state-of-the-art office tower. The workspace is home to a wide range of businesses, from entrepreneurs to established corporations, in a traditional office environment. Clients share a reception area where calls are answered in the company name, with a coffee/tea break room and conference rooms of various size. All private suites come fully furnished with Herman Miller furniture, and range from $800 to $2,500 monthly depending on size. Platinum Business Center also has three virtual office plans: The mail plan, which includes address, mailbox and access to business center services ($75 monthly); the gold plan, which adds a business line and call answering ($175 monthly); and the platinum plan, which adds break room access, meeting room hours, docking station hours and private office hours ($275 monthly).

Gables Executive Offices

2655 LE JEUNE RD., 5TH FLOOR. 305.441.9548

Gables Executive Offices is another of the old-school executive shared-space offices, located in the Ocean Bank building on Le Jeune at Valencia Avenue. With some 150 tenants occupying four floors of suites, Gables Executive Offices has been located in its well-maintained building since the mid 1980s – still owned by the family of the original builder, Stanley Davidson. Standard services include reception, answering service, mail and package handling, conference room and furnished offices for between one and four people. Among its amenities is access to a wide balcony with seating overlooking the city, dry cleaning services and freshly brewed coffee and tea. Prices and flexible packages are available upon request. Easy parking for tenants and guests is available in the building, which is walking distance of Publix (across the street) and Miracle Mile shops and restaurants (two blocks). ■