A new coworking space is about to take shape in a smaller space than its backers had originally envisioned.
In August, local entrepreneur Sarah Bohl told a group at Jefferson City's monthly 1 Million Cups event that she and Missy Creed planned to build Campus Coworking, a 10,000-square-foot space on the first floor of the old JCD Building near U.S. 50 and 54.
Now, Bohl and Creed are taking the concept to a smaller venue in hopes of getting the project off the ground sooner. The new venue, which is a 5,000-square-foot space in the former home of Scene One Theater, 619 E. Capitol Ave., makes the project cheaper and more viable in the long run, Bohl said.
"We decided to start a little smaller instead of going really big at first," Bohl said. "It was a lot for us to take on."
Quinten Rice and business partner Holly Stitt own the Capitol Avenue building, as well as Avenue HQ next door at 623 E. Capitol Ave.
Rice suggested the Capitol Avenue building is the right size for the project. A building too large could create the appearance the business is always empty, he said. Going into a building smaller than the Capitol Avenue space could make it hard to prove the concept.
"I think it will be a perfect fit just to dip your toe in the water and see if it will work," Rice said. "Anything smaller would not do the idea and concept justice."
Rice said putting it in a smaller space could stimulate conversations between people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. Entrepreneurship is a creative endeavor, and having conversations helps foster the creation of ideas, he said.
"You want conversations to take place and ideas to happen," Rice said.
In August, the big vision at the JCD building included space for a fitness studio and a coffee shop so the company's members could build their lives around the building.
The scaled down version inside the Capitol Avenue space will have seven offices available to be rented by members and give them 24-hour access. Between 12 and 16 desks will be available to be rented by members.
About 30 coworking spots for people who want to use the facility, but who do not want to rent an office or desk, also will be available. Room for a retail shop, which will likely sell food, will be set aside to give members a place to eat, Bohl said.
The Capitol Avenue building was built in 1902 and long served as state office space. The building sat vacant for seven years until Rice and Stitt bought the building around 2014.
Concrete floors in the space will remain to keep the industrial look Creed and Bohl want. A large window greets visitors, but a wall keeps light out of what was the black-box theater. That wall will be turned into a half-wall to allow natural light to flood the space, Bohl said.
Creed also found cherry wood for countertops. Bohl said the goal was to design the space with natural colors that fit the brick building and the look of the surrounding neighborhood.
"We termed it clean industrial," Bohl said.
Creed and Bohl estimated they would need to spend $20,000 to open the space in the Capitol Avenue Building. In late October, Creed and Bohl won the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce's Pitch It & Win It pitch competition, which gave them $5,000 for the project.
Preliminary repairs to the building's HVAC system have begun, Bohl said. Soon, carpet floors in the building will be ripped out.
By Dec. 15, Creed and Bohl hope to start moving things into the building. Then, they hope to open Campus Coworking by Jan. 1, Bohl said.
"I think it's pretty realistic," she said of the tight deadline.