WeWork enters the Houston market with a downtown co-working space
WeWork, the international co-working organization with other Texas locations in Austin and Dallas, announced Friday its long-awaited entrance into the Houston market.
“It was more of a question of when, not really if,” said Adam Wacenske, regional general manager. “We were really searching for the right building and the right location. We’ve been in the market for a long time.”
The New York-based office space provider will operate 86,000 square feet of co-working space in downtown’s 708 Main building.
WeWork, known for its eclectic interior designs, attracts freelancers, startups, small-business owners and increasingly, larger corporations. The company said its downtown space will have a “Houston flair.”
“We’re a global community but have that local feel,” Wacenske said.
Amenities will include private offices with space for more than 120 employees; pingpong and brainstorming rooms; private conference rooms; and open space for large events.
The company joins other shared-office concepts that have opened downtown and elsewhere in Houston.
“I think it’s a sneak preview in the way people want to work,” said Mike Fransen, senior vice president and managing director of Parkway, owner of Greenway Plaza.
The 708 Main building is part of the newly branded Jones on Main office property, which includes the longtime Houston banking headquarters for JPMorgan Chase at 712 Main.
“The fact that WeWork chose The Jones at Main for their first Houston location speaks volumes about our repositioning of this iconic Houston building,” Fernando Urrutia, vice president of property owner Lionstone Investments, said in a statement.
Wacenske said the company is still finalizing prices for the Houston location.
He expects the new space to attract a diverse mix of customers, including those who work in health care, technology oil and gas, professional services workers.