Expanding Flexible Office Space – Winnipeg Free Press

From the kitchen table to the home office, it has been many years.

Mark Hrabczak finally booked a table outside his Winnipeg home last fall — a “mindset refresher” for the remote worker. But his desk at Launch Coworking was short-lived; he was in court and then ordered to the office.

Hrabczak is now looking forward to Launch's newest addition, a larger coworking space set to open next to True North Square in the coming months.

“(It's) an opportunity to have a special place and be able to go back and do normal activities,” Grabczak said. “Even like lunch.”

He is ready to work in the Seira Software startup with new people around him. Walking and biking to 200-185 Carlton St. has become a source of excitement, Hrabczak said.

According to Jason Abbott, founder and CEO of Launch Coworking, demand for flexible office space — from remote workers to businesses that aren't renewing their leases — has grown over the past year.

Every week, more and more customers are saying they're tired of working from home, he said. It will also see businesses replace long-term office rentals with Launch's short-term booking system. Often, companies are shrinking their office footprint, Abbott added.

The startup has almost doubled its membership from 200 to 375 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abbott believes that number will only grow. For now, he's set his sights on Launch's third bookable location, due to open in Carlton Street in May/June.

The two-story space will more than double Launch's current footprint. It is 14,600 square feet and has 43 offices, along with a cafe and lounge.

Abbott called it Launch's “most ambitious position” in a letter to customers. Twenty percent of the offices are already booked.

Before the pandemic, Launch Coworking had locations on Chevrier Boulevard and Lombard Street. Workers and companies have reserved seats in the 5,000 sq.ft. and 6,400 sq.ft. vacancies, respectively; membership “has grown exponentially,” Abbott said.

When COVID-19 hit Manitoba, Abbott feared for his business. He thought consumers would cancel memberships and stay home. Instead, it has fueled the growth of customers – people who are trying to work remotely.

Membership growth stalled during what Abbott called the “peak period” of the pandemic. Meanwhile, companies have struggled with hybrid work and sending employees to the office full-time.

The membership boom is back, Abbott said. “(Consumers) want to feel part of something bigger than just being at home.”

Launch Coworking opened in Osborne Village in 2020 and closed in November 2023. Abbott thought the site would be updated, but it wasn't, and Launch left to focus on the Carlton Street location.

He called True North Square “the new downtown”… It's where people want to be. It has energy, it has comfort.”

Matt Dirks plans to work at Launch's new location. Currently, he and Blueprint Inc. team spends at least three days a week at Launch's Exchange District hub.

The consulting firm had previously considered locating its own office, but Launch had the capabilities it was looking for and connections to other organizations.

“There's a certain kind of magic that happens when you cross-pollinate with bands that are just starting out,” Dirks said. “It's very dynamic.”

The co-working space has grown globally. Statista predicts about 42,000 such spaces by the end of 2024, a jump from about 19,000 in 2019.

Mike Shechtman, senior regional director at Robert Half, said the flexibility, home separation and collaborative nature of the sites make them popular. “People still want a level of flexibility.”

However, fewer vacancies advertise remote or hybrid work. Canada's job market peaked when 35 to 40 percent of new postings indicated remote or hybrid positions. That number will drop to 26 percent in the first quarter of 2024, according to an analysis by Robert Half.

Only eight percent were advertised as fully remote, Shechtman added.

Nearly two-thirds of Canadian Federation of Independent Business members in Manitoba — 62 percent — did not allow telecommuting last year and do not plan to in 2024. Three percent of Manitoba members said they would make a recommendation. remote work; 26 percent do not intend to make changes; six percent are planned for less remote options.

“There is no cookie-cutter solution,” notes Ron Gauthier, CEO of Chartered Professionals of Manitoba.

“Hybrid flexible” seems to be the biggest trend, Gauthier said.

Launch Coworking's new Carlton Street site is a “valuable asset” for businesses using hybrid or remote work structures, Winnipeg economic development president Ryan Kuffner wrote in a statement.

Flex memberships start at $19 per month. Carlton office space from $78 to $7,899 per month. Dates at other sites where users occupy open desk space cost $7.50 an hour.

Further expansion, both in Winnipeg and beyond, is likely in Launch's future, Abbott said.

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Gabriel Piche
Reporter

Gabby is a big fan of people, writing and reading. She graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in spring 2020.

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