By: Deborah Johnson Wood
A recent study commissioned by WIRED West Michigan says today's highly mobile workforce does 40 percent of its work at the office, 30 percent at home, and 30 percent at a 'third place' such as, a coffee shop, library, or airport.
The Collective, a group of 'third place' developments in the region, is counting on a cutting-edge approach to the workplace to draw professional talent to the region and keep it here.
The flagship development, located in the former Steelcase fitness facility at Kalamazoo and 44th in Grand Rapids and created by developer Bob Dykstra, is the prototype for more developments soon to pop up across the state.
The Collective follows the concept of work/exercise/learn with state-of-the-art technology in nine furnished offices, presentation rooms, and meeting rooms adjacent to a 20,000-square-foot fitness facility, WiFi coffee shop, copy center, and even art and music rooms with instructors. Spaces are available for lease per use and can include administrative support.
"The future is to have remote work centers where large corporations can send their people offsite and reduce the size of their commercial footprint," says Gerry Barnaby, spokesperson for The Collective. "Do your work, then go work out. Or when you want to use a different part of your brain, drop in for a music or art lesson."
The Collective's development in Eastowne in Norton Shores includes condos and a future boutique hotel.
"Author Richard Florida says these communities are key in the recruitment of the creative class," Barnaby says, "If they can choose to work wherever they want to, then quality of life is an important issue—they can live in a great condo with shops, coffee shops, and do their work right down the street."
Source: Gerry Barnaby, The Collective
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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