Commercial real estate broker Mega Properties LLC has just released details about what tenants can expect from Mega Workplace, the recently transformed building at 343 N. Bay St. where the UCF Business Incubator-Eustis will open next month.
“We have 14 private offices ranging in monthly rent from $600 to $1,600 depending on square footage and window views,” said Mega Properties President George Asbate. “We also have open desks for $125 per month and dedicated desks for $225.”
Virtual offices also are available, which means companies could use the Mega Workplace address as their own and get mail there.
The Mega building has been retrofitted for coworking and small businesses' development, said Asbate. There are two open kitchens, high-speed internet and space for events and workshops, which includes two conference rooms for up to 12 people each and a meeting space for 75-plus people.
Mega Workplace of Eustis interior and exterior views
The meeting space, in an open loft, can accommodate all kinds of groups, said Mega Properties Executive Vice President Pamela Rivas. “We already have 1 Million Cups committed to meeting here beginning in mid-September.”
Vice President Ray Villegas of Lake Economic Area Development (LEAD) Partnership said his organization will launch Lake County's first chapter of 1 Million Cups, which is a nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization. “I think there are more than 120 chapters around the country.”
Villegas said every 1 Million Cups chapter has a meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays to educate, inspire and connect entrepreneurs on a local level. The first meeting in Eustis will be Sept. 13.
Bringing together Lake County organizations and activities under one roof will improve access for rural innovators who live and work far from downtown Orlando, where many such institutions are clustered, Rivas said.
While the Mega Workplace interior build-out accommodates specific incubator needs, it won’t be exclusive to incubator clients. Other area small businesses and entrepreneurs also will be able to rent there, said Asbate.
The first signed tenant likely will be an out-of-town incubator client in the University of Central Florida's business incubator soft-landing program, said Asbate, though the deal has yet to be inked. UCF Incubation Program Director Carol Ann Logue said the soft-landing program provides business development and operations support for technology and innovation-driven companies headquartered outside of the region to expand into the Florida and U.S. markets.
Meanwhile, Logue has begun the search for a site manager for UCF's Eustis incubation program.
“What we're looking for is pretty specific,” she said. “The ideal person has several years of demonstrated experience running or working in an entrepreneurial support organization, especially an incubator or accelerator program or even a small business development center or consulting business. We really need somebody who understands how to coach, mentor, educate and support entrepreneurs and small businesses.”
As of now, she said the group will have initial interviews with four or five people.
Logue also wants to find a candidate with a talent for community engagement. “They're going to get out there and network with service providers, chambers, economic development organizations and business organizations, because as an incubator, we don’t do anything on our own. We really tap the community for service providers, mentors, subject matter experts, advisers and referral sources for potential clients."
About Mega Workplace
- Address: 343 N. Bay St., Eustis 32726
- Contact: (352) 589-6342
- Established: July 14, 2023
- Office options for tenants: Private offices, dedicated desks, open desks, virtual
- Amenities: Mail service, events and workshops, high-speed internet, kitchens
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