Downtown welcomes largest co-working space to date
ALBANY, NY: Those seeking to work in downtown Albany now have another option, as Novel Coworking was officially welcomed to the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at their 69 State Street location. Joining Novel Coworking CEO Bill Bennett and Downtown Albany BID executive director Georgette Steffens in welcoming the space to Downtown were Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Assemblymember John T. McDonald III.
Recognizing downtown Albany as an investment opportunity and wanting to add flexible workspace to what Bennett saw as an underserved market, Novel Coworking purchased the 17-story building located at the corner of N Pearl and State Streets in early 2020. The coworking space opened early last month following renovation of approximately 40,000-square-feet – roughly one third of the building’s 135,000-square-foot space – into Downtown’s largest co-working space to date.
With COVID-19 mandated shutdowns occurring before construction began at the Downtown building, Novel Coworking was able to make changes to plans for the three-story space, including purchasing office furnishings that are more easily cleaned than upholstered pieces, implementing designated traffic flow and a floor plan more conducive to professional distancing, installation of touchless faucets and foot pulls on restroom doors, and temporarily forgoing the drop-in co-working option.
While this location marks their first in New York, the Chicago-based company operates spaces in 30 cities across the country, with ownership of each location’s building affording them the opportunity to make infrastructure and amenity improvements as needed, while keeping membership rates structured to fit any size business. With flexible workspaces, private offices, and SmartSuites™ available, Novel Access Passes start at $219 a month, private offices start at $775 a month, and office suites start at $175 per employee a month. Included in the membership is 24/7 access to the building, all utilities, direct fiber internet, mail service, community app, and coffee bar. Further setting them apart from other area coworking workspaces is the ability for members to personalize their office spaces including painting the walls.
"I want to welcome Novel Coworking to our Capital City and encourage businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the various office spaces available at Novel as workspace will surely continue to take on many forms in the post-COVID world " said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. "I look forward to more seeing more people in downtown Albany and Novel will be a great addition."
“We are excited to support Albany’s small businesses as well as enterprise firms with beautiful, affordable space to grow their businesses,” said Novel Coworking CEO Bill Bennett. “We have seen huge demand for flexible, customizable workspace from companies of all sizes.”
"It is exciting to welcome Novel Coworking to downtown Albany. Novel Coworking provides members a professional workspace with the business resources they need at hand. This new business will provide a place for people to meet, work and grow their business with a flexible office setting,” said Assemblymember John T. McDonald III.
“Behind Downtown’s historic architecture lives truly incredible high-end amenities, and we are thrilled Novel Coworking has invested in our District’s future through their first property in New York,” said Downtown Albany BID Executive Director Georgette Steffens. “As companies look to navigate the post-COVID waters, we anticipate that flexible office space will continue to be highly sought after as employees return to working in person. Downtown works for companies of all sizes, and the workforce based here experience the benefits of being within steps of world-class dining, shopping, and public art.”
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About Novel Coworking
Novel Coworking provides fully-furnished, technology-equipped, and affordable workspace to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and enterprise companies. Novel Coworking members have access to more than 3.7 million square feet of workspace in 40 locations including Albany, Alexandria, Austin, Boulder, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbia, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Madison, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Norfolk, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Richmond, San Diego, San Jose, Savannah, Seattle, St. Petersburg, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit novelcoworking.com.
About the Downtown Albany BID
Since 1996, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) has worked to restore, promote and maintain the character and vitality of downtown Albany and improve the quality of life and overall image of downtown for those who work in, live in and visit New York’s Capital City. The BID is a private, not-for profit 501(c) (3) organization. For more information about Downtown Albany BID please visit downtownalbany.org or call 518.465.2143.
