NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Ground Floor Coworking is having its Grand Opening event at 547 North Avenue in New Rochelle on Thursday, February 26th at 5:30 PM. They are holding it in conjunction with the monthly Networking Event with the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce. Ground Floor Coworking opened their doors as a fresh alternative to the isolation of a private office and distraction of a coffee shop.
The newly-renovated 2,000 square foot space boasts high ceilings and huge windows- reminiscent of an urban loft- and is centrally located on North Avenue between City Hall and Iona College. With a “ground floor” location and ample parking right nearby, the office offers a variety of settings to suit individual work styles and businesses from startup to solo to small and everything in between: a salon area with couches and tables; open, designated and semi-private desks, and private office and conference space. And don’t forget the kitchen!
The coworking office model is growing not only for affordability but because it fosters both creativity and productivity, explains Miriaim Gilwit, who founded Ground Floor along with her parents Roy and Kathy to meet the needs of those seeking a place to be professional on their own terms. “My dad wanted a space to display his artwork, and that of his father, who was an amazing art director in the 1960’s. My mom wanted somewhere to write and percolate her own business ideas. Then, we each had friends who were either starting out, switching careers, were self-employed or startup, or working a day job and trying to launch something new after hours. We designed Ground Floor as a space where businesses of all sorts and at various stages of development could come together in one place, and be encouraged to expand and grow.”
Roy likens the coworking model to that of a fitness membership. “Just like you’d take advantage of all a gym would have to offer- equipment, classes- to build your body, you’d come here to utilize all that we offer- from desks and meeting space to wi-fi, printing and mailboxes- to build your business,” he said. The most important thing was to keep the costs reasonable: a monthly membership is just $300, and daily drop in rates of $30 drop down considerably when bought in a group.
To start the business, the Gilwits combined seed money of their own with micro funding from Community Capital Resources (CCR) to cover renovation and construction costs, They called in favors from friends and contractors to bring the space- which had been dormant over a decade- alive. Mentoring assistance was given by the SBA and the SBAA (Small Business Advisory Alliance), a new partnership of United Way and CCR. In keeping with a commitment to build green, their lighting is energy-efficient through the Con Ed Green Team. In addition to new purchases, furnishings were brought up from a coworking space in lower Manhattan, Build it Green, the Habitat ReStore and even craigslist, where they got an antique phone booth, right from Kathy’s hometown on Long Island.
Ground Floor Coworking is open daily 9AM to 5PM but offers flexible evening and weekend hours as well. Everything in the main space is moveable, making it ideal for seminars, pop ups and special events. “We realize that the business model is changing, that it’s no longer just days, but days, nights, and everything in between,” said Kathy, noting that they each worked day jobs, too. Monitoring the space right now is a friends and family affair. They will celebrate their grand opening on February 26 with a ribbon cutting with the Chamber of Commerce, and feature open houses during the month of March. For more information visit www.groundfloorcw.com or call (914) 999-4324.