There's a new player in the Rhode Island coworking scene.
Troy, N.Y.-based Aurelius Coworks announced that it is making its first moves out of the Empire State with the Westwey Club, a coworking and flexible office space in Providence that's expected to open in early 2020. It will be the company's third community, joining the Troy Innovation Garage and the Bull Moose Club in Albany, N.Y.
The Westwey Club will cover 10,000 square feet on the eleventh floor of the Turks Head Building, with private offices, conference rooms, meeting spots and coworking spaces. Its goal is to support the small business and startup communities in the state, along with the creative economy, tech ecosystem and government sector.
Tom Nardacci, founder and CEO of Aurelius Coworks, said the team chose Providence because it was both a middle-market city with a downtown space and was also in the process of revitalization.
"We believe our communities can help make more social and economic impacts in these markets versus a larger metropolitan area like Boston," Nardacci told Rhody Inno. "We’ve also found through our research, which includes visits to over 100 coworking communities, incubators and accelerators across the country, that cities like Albany and Providence are still underserved when it comes to flexible space options."
With the move into Rhode Island, Aurelius will also begin its planned Northeast expansion process.
"Providence kept rising to the top of our list as we decided where to go out-of-state," he said. "I love the direction the state and city are headed, there is a variety of development and the density of higher education is unmatched."
When the Westway Club opens, Nardacci said clients can expect "a positive, innovative culture inside our spaces." There will also be regular community events that cover topics ranging from entrepreneurship, technology, startups and community initiatives.
"Westwey Club will feel and operate like a hometown startup," he added. "We will spend time building relations around the city and state, and take on some responsibility to help create meaningful connections with our members and help them access all the amenities, networking opportunities and physical space they need to be successful and grow."
