Inside Flashcube: Plexpod reveals new downtown luxury coworking, coliving concept
May 5, 2020 | Tommy Felts
Plexpod is planning another coworking hub along the KC Streetcar line — this time in a downtown luxury apartment building that will be one of Kansas City’s first coliving communities.
Featuring two floors of new office and coworking space, Plexpod Flashcube is already under construction within Flashcube, 720 Main St. — a nearly all-glass-facade apartment building in eyesight of the existing Plexpod River Market location.
Gerald Smith, Plexpod
“We’re really excited about Flashcube because, I’ll tell you, it’s something that has not been done before,” said Gerald Smith, founder of Plexpod.
The Flashcube project — managed by Worcester Communities and contained within a restored, historic 1974 structure built for Commerce Bank — includes 184 apartments and extensive amenities (sport courts, indoor soccer, grocery delivery, salon services, barbershop, dog park and pet wash, and more), Smith said, noting all residents get a Plexpod membership.
Click here to learn more about Flashcube’s downtown luxury apartment space.
“The idea of living and amenities is very strong, but I don’t yet see anyone providing that work component [in Kansas City],” he added, detailing Plexpod’s 16,876 square feet of office space at the location. “[Flashcube] is just creating a whole environment of community that we’ve never seen before.”
When Plexpod Flashcube opens in August, it will be the third Plexpod location along the KC Streetcar line — joining sites in River Market and the Crossroads. Plexpod also operates large coworking communities in Lenexa and at Plexpod Westport Commons.
Smith additionally confirmed another Plexpod location is in the planning stages at the former Laugh-O-Gram Studios building near 31st and Troost, the subject of a decades-long preservation effort by the Thank You Walt Disney organization.
Former Laugh-O-Gram Studio
Click here to read more about the plan to save Disney’s Kansas City film studio.
“The plan would be for Plexpod to manage the facility as a coworking facility for digital arts, including a learning lab for students, and a visitors center featuring the history of Walt Disney in Kansas City,” Smith told Startland News.
The founder admitted it felt like a strange time to develop new locations when his team at Plexpod — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2018 — are working hard to keep the doors open at existing sites because of COVID-19-related challenges.
“We took a hit in March when all event and meeting room bookings canceled for the foreseeable future,” he said. “In addition, we felt we needed to offer extensive discounts in April due to so many requests for assistance and of course that took its toll on our revenue.”
Although Plexpod took in half the revenue originally budgeted for April, a forgivable loan through the Paycheck Protection Program is helping to bridge the gap, Smith said.
“We’re hoping May is better!” he said.
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