Red Wing Innovation Incubator

“…coworkers collectively provide a local economic anchor. Local governments are always trying to attract these anchors: big companies that will provide a broad base of long term employment, and local governments must often make unattractive compromises to woo them. At NextSpace, we’re proud that instead of recruiting one 200-person company to downtown Santa Cruz, we recruited 200 one-person companies.”

–A Santa Cruz, CA coworking space owner from an article, “Can Coworking and City Governments Partner?“

Creating a co-working environment in a downtown vacant property is challenging to the old way of thinking, but it’s bringing new business to downtown areas with under-utilized office, light industrial or even retail space.

Co-working spaces are the definition of collaboration–nonprofits, municipalities, big business and small can work side by side and kick that entrepreneurial spirit into high gear.

“When people don’t have to commute and can work where they live, they become more invested in their local communities. They shop at local retailers. They get engaged in local issues and make their voices heard.”

A quick video of a recent visit to Coco, a successful coworking space in St. Paul. They are about to launch a huge initiative in downtown Minneapolis with enthusiastic support from visionary mayor, RT Rybak.

CoCo-St. Paul, 213 4th St. E. #400 Saint Paul, MN 55101