BY MICHAEL ELLIS
Wash Park professionals and entrepreneurs are living the dream with the opening of Park Coworking on Denver’s most vibrant residential neighborhood in Wash Park. This vibrant, shared office space project is located on Denver’s 2nd oldest commercial block Old South Gaylord Street and they are very excited to provide the block’s very first and only rooftop deck available for special events as well as a general amenity for the building. The primary directive at PARK is to create and foster a sense of community and social connection with one another through brand, design, and culture. Their definition of community includes both internal members within the walls of the building, as well as outside in the heart of the neighborhood. Through collaboration they intend to build the community to be innovative, foster growth, and create strong social connection driving stronger productivity for the community. This “coworking” space is a superior way of delivering office space through flexibility, choice, and limited structure.
Park allows flexible lease terms both short and long, offering differing sizes of office space which allows companies to expand and contract as necessary.
The space is designed to accommodate many different work styles, whether you prefer an open floor plan with no dedicated space or if you require individual office space with maximum privacy, they offer a wide variety to suit your needs. The common area design revolves around individual choice to allow members to choose to work at a kitchen area for example with countertop height island workspace, or for an alternative example large collaborative communal tables for drop-in access, phone booths for private phone calls or video conferencing, couches and lounge chairs, or the 360 degree views of the rooftop deck for some Colorado fresh air.
Members not only choose where they prefer to work to maximize each and every individual ergonomic preference, but the space is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a sophisticated access control system and a robust security system with over 25 security cameras allows them to automate the building for constant accessibility. The constant accessibility allows for a concept of limited structure which shatters the conventional 9 to 5 office mold. Come and go as you please, work where, how, and when you want.
We had the chance to learn more from Wash Park resident and owner of Park, Aaron Grant.
There is definitely a high demand of co working spaces, across Denver. What sets Park apart from the rest?
All Co-works have fast internet and conference room space, what sets PARK apart is our programming. We strive to develop a strong sense of community. We hold weekly events with fun happy hours which are current, debuting a new Tequila for Cinco De Mayo, having Mint Juleps around the Kentucky Derby, “Rose on the Roof” for hot summer days, we even hosted a bourbon sommolier for a bourbon tasting which was a fabulous event!
In addition, we host 4 special events per month which in the past have included a sushi rolling class, a cooking class focused on making gnocchi, our coveted “Movie on the Roof” night where we debuted Traflagar’s music focused movies like playing the Grateful Dead’s 1991 concert at Giants Stadium in it’s entirety, or the documentary on Trae Anastasio, arts and crafts making events and much, much more. We love connecting with our neighbors, and we are hosting a pop-up retail event for Wish, a local retailer on Old South Gaylord, where they will bring clothing and jewelry to showcase and sell while we offer cocktails.
By offering events our goal is to foster social connection. The theory behind this is if our tenants genuinely want to come to work in our shared office space and are involved and contributing to our community, then it will lead to a stronger level of gratification which will ultimately lead to higher productivity.
I also live in the Wash Park area and want to provide my neighborhood with a real amenity, a place to go and interact and to enjoy. Just because it’s office space doesn’t mean it has to be boring!
People, regardless of occupation, fundamentally seek human connection and PARK offers that connection. The design at PARK is infused with personality that prioritizes not only pragmatic needs like natural light, fast internet, and state-of-the-art conference room space; but great experience through park sponsored events!
Events are open to everyone and include these educational workshops:
Cultural ARTS – Photography, Film Making, Music, Art, Theatre
BUSINESS WORKSHOPS – Venture Capital and Creative Finance, Business Planning, Tax Preparation, Sales and Marketing, Self Help
Motivation
SOCIAL CONNECTION – Live Music, Poetry Open Mic, Stand Up Comedy, Cooking Lessons, Craft classes, Movie on the roof, Run club, Yoga
What other real estate ventures have you been a part of in Colorado?
I am an owner-developer, meaning I am a real estate developer who invests my own money, and typically own my projects and sign on debt personally. I currently have 9 development projects in various stages of entitlements or residential and retail, a 120 acre greenfield development consisting of 324 single family units as well as 50 acres of mixed use commercial including an age-restricted apartment complex and a retail coffee shop in Frederick Colorado, a mixed-use boutique hotel in Longmont Colorado, a residential opportunity zone development in Olde Town Arvada, and I have built several high-end homes and duplexes around the Bonnie Brae and Wash Park neighborhoods working with the Mighty Million Dollar Raffle. We raffled off a beautiful home in Bonnie Brae to benefit the Children’s Hospital, and we had a new build where I sold the home to Tyson Barrie formerly with the Colorado Avalanche.
I’m originally from just outside of Mead, Colorado, born and raised and have lived most my life in Colorado. I love everything about the State! I’ve worked in real estate since 2003, always owned and operated my own companies, have always been very entrepreneurial including having a real estate brokerage called The Grant Real Estate Company since 2005 working on commercial and residential brokerage which offices out of Park. I like the idea of disruption. I like the idea of addressing social needs through real estate design and development. I believe in making a positive impact on community. As my career has progressed I have become more and more focused on creativity.
What can we expect from you in the future?
We are currently doubling the Park project in size were we are expanding into phase 2. We are adding 27 more offices, 8 more desk stations, and 3 retail locations with street signage and door frontage onto Gaylord. That will open beginning of April and we are pre-leasing now. In addition, I am considering additional future locations for a second Park project, so stay tuned.
To that end, programming at PARK is truly special, in that they have married the idea of offering professional and social connection and interaction, with opportunities to collaborate not only for Park members, but also the Wash Park Community!