CARY — Coworking group Raleigh Founded is expanding into downtown Cary in the new year.
Cary Founded entrance sign
According to Cary Founded Director Rebekah Gregg, the location will be opening for tenant move-in in February, with plans for a grand opening and open coworking slated for March. Gregg expects reservations for the event spaces to begin in April or May.
I took a “hardhat” tour of the new space still under construction along East Chatham Street in the heart of downtown. Part of the new 20,000+ sq ft. Rogers West building, the Cary Founded location will use space on the second and third floors to provide 35 dedicated offices plus open coworking and classroom spaces. The ground level will be reserved for retail spaces including boutiques and restaurants likely to open later in 2024.
Founded perks
Private offices are available, fully furnished, with flexible options for teams from 2 people, all the way up to 24. Larger suites include smaller private offices and conference room space. The location will include additional conference space and smaller “huddle” rooms available for reservation or for use up to 10 hours a week to members.
Other perks include Wi-Fi, mailbox and printing, access to community events, plus local beer and coffee in the Cary Founded kitchen. Members also have access to a host of local resource providers to support small businesses and a 25% discount on reservations for larger event and classroom spaces.
Space for eventual open coworking and cafe.
The new building offers spectacular views, with windows that overlook landmarks like Ashworth’s Drugs and the train tracks, as well as local hotspots including Bond Brothers, Scratch Kitchen, and Big Dom’s Bagel Shop. Cary’s newly-opened downtown park is also easy walking distance a few blocks away.
The new space was originally slated to open in the fall of 2023, but faced assorted construction delays. Gregg confirmed that early tenants were offered space in other Raleigh Founded locations until opening.
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Cary coworking is also available from options like Blush Cowork and Regus. However, the Cary Cofounders Lab, previously a few doors down on Chatham Street, is now permanently closed, according to Google.
Downtown development
Parking may be a challenge for tenants, at least in the short term. Free parking is available in the United Methodist Church parking lot nearby and up to 20 spots will be sprinkled around the building. Street parking will also be an option – if you can find it.
But Cary has seen tremendous development in the last few years, culminating in the new Downtown Cary Park opened last month. Traffic has been increasing in the area, which was already short on parking spaces.
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Cary is working to address the problem. According to Gregg, a new parking structure is planned alongside the Cary Founded building, with construction anticipated to begin next year. At this time, Cary is not charging for parking, though according to the town website, there are several parking projects in the works, including a study on multi-family parking planning and the pilot use of gates on its new Library Parking Deck.
Space is still available and more details can be found online at caryfounded.com.
