The Buzz on Büro.
Press
Step into the retro-chic lounge, choose your seat on furnishings inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, and open up your laptop. Or if a desk or office is more your style, that’s available, too, at Büro Group’s new co-working center in northeast Miami’s MiMo district.
Travel north about 10 blocks, and MADE at the Citadel has an artsy vibe, with works by local artists all over the place. And as you roam the Little Haiti space, you’re likely to peek into a painter’s studio or see a set designer in action.
If you live in Fort Lauderdale, you might prefer the more intimate General Provision, with unique work spaces, some tucked away in a loft upstairs, a funky wooden bar in front, phone booths for Skyping and a generous conference room in the back.
And in Miami Beach, the ocean itself will be celebrated at the new WeWork, the largest co-working space yet in the region, which is set to open this week on Lincoln Road. Need a break? Cabanas will be available to members so they can change and head straight to the beach.
WeWork, with 42 locations open or ready to open around the world, is opening a 40,000-square-foot, four-floor facility to accommodate up to 750 members. Said co-founder Miguel McKelvey: “We want to be wherever entrepreneurs are.”
Indeed, entrepreneurs are all over South Florida these days — in new collaborative co-working spaces such as these and dozens of other spaces already in operation. The Brickell-downtown Miami area alone is home to 20 including CityDesk, KeyWorking and Quest, according to a listing by the Miami Downtown Development Authority.
The newest players also include 360Spaces, Building, Mindwarehouse and Delray Tech Space. Opening in the next few months: Pipeline Coral Gables, Büro Coconut Grove, StartHub in downtown Miami and a handful of smaller specialized spaces. Some existing places are expanding, including Axis Space in Fort Lauderdale and the Center for Social Change in Miami.
Caffeinating the wave is a confluence of trends both national and local. Around the country, urban centers are undergoing a renaissance, becoming magnets for mobile millennials. By choice and by circumstance, the economy increasingly involves independent workers; a new study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the sector of workers who don’t have traditional full-time jobs increased to 40.4 percent of the workforce in 2010, up from 35.3 percent in 2006, and the researchers believe the share of independent workers is even larger today.
Locally, the growth of downtown during the last two real estate cycles has helped make the urban core a nexus of cool for young professionals and entrepreneurs, doubling its population since 2000. An explosion of entrepreneurship programs — many funded by the Knight Foundation, which has put its weight behind the entrepreneurship and tech movements in its Miami program — has also fueled the trend. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area was the nation’s No. 2 locale for new startup activity in 2014, according to a Kauffman Foundation study.
Startups and freelancers have been seeking affordable, convenient and collaborative work spaces where they can network, learn from one another, and attend workshops and events. Costs vary, but most run about $200 to $300 a month for full-time use of the co-working space and its amenities; a dedicated desk or glass-walled office costs extra. Co-working spaces also offer WiFi, access to conference rooms, generous hours of operation to accommodate night owls and weekend warriors, and of course, plenty of java.
Such spaces aren’t new. The first wave opened between 2011 and 2013 and included The LAB Miami in Wynwood and Büro Miami in Midtown, among others. Today they are considered key elements of the emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem.
But over the past year, growth has accelerated. While spaces are continuing to open in the Brickell-to-Wynwood corridor — for example, Building.co recently opened its three-floor space particularly geared to tech companies near Mary Brickell Village — they are also moving outside the urban core. There are also more specialized spaces popping up and more corporate involvement in the centers.
Yet the biggest new trend it this: For the first time here, co-workers can choose from networks of locations.
Pipeline, whose original space in Brickell has 250 members, is opening a second location above the centrally located Northwestern Kellogg School of Management in Coral Gables by the end of the summer and is actively scouting for other South Florida and national locations, said co-founder Philippe Houdard. Earlier this year the company opened in Philadelphia across from City Hall.
Büro Group’s original location, now 18,000 square feet, is in Midtown and has expanded twice. Last year, Büro opened a location in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood; this month it opened in MiMo, in the building adorned with the historic Coppertone sign. The company plans to open in Coconut Grove by the fall in a building shared with Panther Coffee, and the founder said he is also scouting additional locations. Airbnb, Gilt City, Postmates, Gucci Group, Barry’s Bootcamp, Flywheel, Pubbelly Group and GoTV Digital are some of the companies that have employees or teams at Büro’s centers.
The locations are strategic, said Michael Feinstein, Büro CEO and founder; members have a convenient place to open up their laptop, wherever they are in the Miami area. At the 11,000-square-foot MiMo location, with additional room available to expand, Feinstein is also offering bigger offices, some that can hold teams of 12 to 14. “We don’t want people to grow out of Büro.”
Independent co-working centers are moving where the entrepreneurs are, too. In the past year, artists and creatives have also been beginning to move out — or have been priced out — of Wynwood and are landing in Little River. Not surprisingly, co-working spaces are following.
Thomas Conway of Conway Commercial Real Estate, one of the owners of the MADE (Makers, Artists, Designers and Entrepreneurs) venture, along with Nick Hamann and Danny Buraglia of Urban Atlantic Group, wanted to be an early mover in what has been a shift to the Little Haiti/Little River area. He and his partners purchased a 26,000-square-foot building that once housed BellSouth and more recently three churches, and renovated the building with more open spaces. Just inside the door are gallery exhibits by local artists.
The space, with about 40 members and four or five resident dogs so far, has 27 private offices/studios, open work spaces, a maker space and a theater for events; still to come is a garden area. Sarah MK Moody, a photographer and gallery owner of Maggie Knox Gallery, and Deon Rubi, a jewelry designer, were integral in transforming the space. Even the bathroom stalls are hand-painted.
Arthur Render, founder of SoleNews26, which sells limited edition sneakers to celebrity athletes and entertainers, is now calling MADE home, attracted by space to show his inventory and meet with his clients. Other members include fashion designer McLaine Oberhellmann of McLaine O. Swimwear, artists Patricia Baro and Santiago Cantillo of Mixed Media Collective and Danielle Malinski of RAW Yoga.
David Sinopoli moved his whole team — 10 people — into MADE earlier this month. His company, III Points, has one of the larger offices adorned with art and also whiteboards for brainstorming.
Over at Büro MiMo, entrepreneurs have been moving in before its grand opening set for early July.
For Miami tech firm Blackdove, Büro’s appeal includes its various convenient locations and the MiMo atmosphere that meshes well with its brand, said its co-founders Marc Billings and Tito Gaudenzi. Blackdove’s art-tech platform bringing gallery caliber art to any smart screen will be launched later this summer.
“We chose Büro MiMo because of its great emerging location that truly captures the nature of what we are building. The real estate and entrepreneurial landscape of the neighborhood is changing rapidly and we are excited to be part of it,” Gaudenzi said.
For Jonathan Strauss, partner of Skateboard Supercross, the decision to move to MiMo was easy. He has been a Büro member for four years, and “if my company grows to 100 employees, I would still be at Büro,” he said.
“It’s such a great vibe and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve relied on other members for help. A lot of ideas are generated by just talking in the social areas,” Strauss said.
Skateboard Supercross, today a team of four, is designing and building tracks and creating educational academies. The first track, in Brooklyn, is due to open this summer. The company has partnered with a well-known European bike park designer, and Skateboard Supercross’ designs will have a “ski resort-style atmosphere for wheels,” said Strauss.
He’s developing an app for his company’s academy and is testing a platform built by fellow Büro member Steven Quayle’s company, 3Floorsup. Over the years, Strauss says, Büro members have been a source of advice on design work, marketing and branding, printing services and accounting. “There are limitless connections you can make.”
How to choose a co-working space
Each space has its own vibe and mix of amenities. The best way to choose a co-working space is to test-drive a few. Most offer free or discounted day passes for newcomers.
When weighing the options, here are some questions to consider:
- Does the environment fit you and the culture of your company and clients? Some are more artsy and creative, while others are more modern and business-like.
- Does the mix of industries suit you? Many spaces curate their memberships, going for a mix of startups, consultants, professionals, investors and larger companies. Some are more concentrated in tech.
- Do you want a place with lots of events? Check out schedules and member-only educational offerings.
- Do you want to be near public transportation?
- If you drive, is parking included in the cost? Is bike-sharing offered nearby?
- Are there restaurants and cafes within walking distance?
- When do you really plan to use the space? Some are open 24/7, while others have more limited hours.
- If you will need regular use of conference rooms or meeting areas, are they available enough of the time and included in the cost?
- Are the founders or community managers onsite full time and do they know all the members? Friendly management helps create a collaborative atmosphere.