Cowork Lee’s Summit to revamp old post office for entrepreneurs
February 17, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Lee’s Summit is set to receive a large, new coworking space to serve as the city’s entrepreneurial hub.
The founder of Community Buying Group, Ben Rao said he will soon close on purchasing the old Lee’s Summit Post Office to convert it into a 13,000 square-foot coworking space named Cowork Lee’s Summit. Without any nearby coworking options, Rao said he’s thrilled to create a destination for Lee’s Summit entrepreneurs to convene.
“I’m really excited about building out this space,” Rao said. “It’s going to be great for eastern Jackson County.”
Rao said the building — built in 1962 — has a tremendous opportunity. Eventually, the space will feature 30 private offices, about 5,000 square feet common space a coffee shop and a 2,000 square-foot event space. Eventually, Rao said Cowork Lee’s Summit will provide educational programming for entrepreneurs to learn and grow their businesses.
While yet to begin on refurbishing the building, Rao has ambitious plans for its design. In addition to a cafe and deli, the building will feature several sustainable design elements, including LED lighting, a green roof and an array of solar panels that should power about 70 percent of the space, Rao said.
“I’ve always had a passion for beautification and rehabbing spaces,” Rao said. “With this project, both worlds collide.”
Rao is currently seeking property tax abatements to help offset costs of the project, which should be nearly $1.7 million, the Lee’s Summit Journal reported.
Rao said he’s optimistic that the space will help elevate Lee’s Summit. He said that as of now, Lee’s Summit entrepreneurs are often forced to either work from their homes or travel to downtown Kansas City. Now, they’ll be able to create a community together.
“I had always wanted to do some sort of shared space or coworking studio to bring up Lee’s Summit,” Rao said. “There’s so much going on in Lee’s Summit. … Here, you’ll be a part of a community that’s walkable and in a downtown business district.”
Rao said he hopes to have the space open for a tour in June and available for rent in the fall.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Gooding: Create your own market — don’t compete in someone else’s
“It’s a $100 million dollar industry, all I have to do is capture 1 percent of that market and I’ll make a million dollars.” After working with hundreds of startups, I have heard this statement countless times. This way of thinking is held by many business owners regardless of their industry, background or target market.…
From Mizzou to Spike TV, Tommy Saunders’ ab rollers hit national stage
Tommy Saunders is serious about fitness — one glance at his eight-pack and pythons for arms makes that clear. But the Kansas City entrepreneur is also serious about business, a fact he plans to prove as part of a reality-competition series debuting Tuesday on Spike TV. A former University of Missouri football standout, Saunders recently…
Blooom co-founder dissects $4M raise
Financial tech firm Blooom recently snagged one of the Kansas City area’s largest funding rounds in months. QED Investors from Alexandria, Va., led Blooom’s $4 million Series A round, which also included investments from DST Systems Inc., Commerce Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners and UMB. The Leawood-based firm plans to use the funds to hire new sales…
Events Preview: Athena League, Village Fall Fest
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Athena League October VOX When: October 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Where: C2FO Join us for our October VOX, All…