Washington, D.C.-based co-working space chain MakeOffices unveiled its new K Street location on Tuesday, officially staking a claim at the heart of the lobbying and government advocacy industry. The 35,000 square-foot space fills two floors at the corner of K and 15th Street, the latest on the list of new spots MakeOffices outlined at the beginning of the year.
"K Street is not enough on its own, but 15th and K, that's the real K Street," MakeOffices CEO Raymond Rahbar told DC Inno in an interview. "It's a community focused space and a great opportunity for us.
The new MakeOffices arrives just a few months after WeWork's own new 620-desk space opened on K Street, but Rahbar said he expects the MakeOffices to be close to full within about six weeks of its actual opening on Dec. 5. Some of the tenants are already working out of a different MakeOffices space, but there are many companies and groups for whom K Street will be their first co-working spot.
"I've been flooded by requests from a lot of people. Especially after the election, there are a lot of people now looking at a little different career path," Rahbar said. "That disruption is a massive opportunity for us as all those people will now look to government advocacy work."
The new space is 5,000 square feet smaller than the Clarendon space that opened over the summer but it has its own special touches like a device lab and recording studio. Overall though, it will have the same aesthetic as the other spaces. As for who the actual members signing up are, that's a wildcard.
"It's amazing how diverse the community can be," Rahbar said. "When we opened our very first location in Arlington, it was 90 percent tech startups. Now they make up just 15 or 20 percent of our portfolio."
