Local Office launches site with shared workspaces, targeting entrepreneurs who want short-term leases

Pipeline Realty is getting into co-working with the launch of Local Office at 2617 Bissonnet near Rice Village.

The Houston-based real estate firm has converted a two-story industrial/office building into shared workspaces and private offices with capacity for about 125 members. Local Office, in West University Place, targets entrepreneurs and professionals who want the flexibility of a month-tomonth arrangement in a neighborhood setting. Most of its initial members hail from nearby West U, Braes Heights, Bellaire and the Texas Medical Center.

“Most of the co-working and shared office spaces that we see tend to be located in kind of the downtown cores or some of the trendier parts of town,” said Scott Rubenstein of Pipeline Realty.

“We wanted to do something that could serve the local community and have a little bit of a flavor that fit the local community.”

Houston-based Inventure Design created the space, which offers furnished work areas, meeting rooms, phone rooms, Wi-Fi, a kitchen and other amenities. The decor includes plant walls, wood paneling, neon signs and painted concrete floors.

The 18,000-square-foot building previously housed an audio/ video production company. It has 3,500 square feet of retail space and covered parking on the ground floor.

Cavo plans to open a coffee shop of about 2,000 square feet this spring. The remaining retail space will initially be used for pop-ups and events, Rubenstein said.

Private offices start at $599 a month for round-the-clock access, while full-time co-working memberships cost $199 per month for more limited access, Pipeline Realty said.

Pipeline Realty, which owns and operates about 200,000 square feet of office space, 1 million square feet of industrial space and 150,000 square feet of retail space, has seen strong demand for small office spaces, Rubenstein said. The co-working model offers a new option for small businesses, which are frequently in growth mode and do not want to commit to longterm leases.

Next door to Local Office, Pipeline Realty owns the building on stilts occupied by a salon. It’s on tap to be redeveloped, and the project could complement Local Office or extend it.

“As we see opportunities to do it, we’re going to expand the brand,” Rubenstein said.

Pipeline Realty Local Office was designed by Houston-based Inventure Design for Pipeline Realty. The coworking space, at 2617 Bissonnet, offers furnished work areas, meeting rooms, Wi-Fi and a kitchen.