Switchyards to open co-working space within historic Biltmore

‘Neighborhood work club’ spaces will debut Jan. 12.

Co-working company Switchyards announced it will open a location next year within Midtown’s oldest hotel building.

The Atlanta-based startup is leasing 3,200 square feet within the street level of the historic Biltmore Hotel at 817 W. Peachtree St. NW, according to a news release. The shared workspaces will debut Jan. 12, coinciding with the hotel’s 100-year anniversary. The location also puts Switchyards on the doorstep of Georgia Tech’s bustling Technology Square.

Founded in 2016, Switchyards leases offices to turn into “neighborhood work clubs,” which are co-working spaces that can be shared by startups and entrepreneurs. It’s a model popularized by WeWork, the New York company that declared bankruptcy last week following an infamous stretch of financial ups and downs.

Switchyards Midtown with the Biltmore Hotel will be the company’s 10th metro Atlanta location. Paid members have 24/7 access to all Switchyard locations, including the company’s spot in Nashville, and can enjoy amenities like endless coffee and tea, meeting spaces and a library.

“Atlanta is Switchyards’ home,” the company’s CEO and founder Michael Tavani said in the release. “And Midtown feels like the perfect neighborhood to celebrate our 10th work club opening. It’s the beating heart of the city, and

the kind of place we love — historic, walkable, residential and full of soul.”

A staple of Midtown, the 11-story Biltmore Hotel closed in the 1980s but lives on as an event space with loft offices and condos. The

Georgia Tech Foundation bought the landmark property in 2016.

Memberships cost $100 and will go on sale Jan. 3. More information is available at switchyards.com/ midtown.

AJC 2004 A staple of Midtown, the 11-story Biltmore Hotel closed in the 1980s but lives on as an event space with loft offices and condos. The Georgia Tech Foundation bought the landmark property in 2016.

COURTESY Switchyards “neighborhood work club” co-working sites allow entrepreneurs and others to share office space and amenities for a $100 fee. The newest site will be in Midtown at the Biltmore Hotel site.