Coworking can revitalize business corridors

Coworking can revitalize business corridors by turning empty buildings into thriving hubs for entrepreneurs, community, and economic growth.

RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, July 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vacant buildings. Forgotten downtowns. Main streets with more For Lease signs than foot traffic. It’s a story we hear all too often.
But coworking can rewrite that script.

According to JPMorgan Chase, over 70% of small businesses in underserved commercial corridors report that revitalization efforts improve customer traffic and increase revenue potential. Meanwhile, coworking adoption in central business districts continues to rise, with Coworking Insights reporting high adoption rates in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.

These statistics back up what we’re seeing on the ground: coworking isn’t just a workspace trend—it’s a catalyst for economic and community renewal.
Across the country, forward-thinking Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development teams are using coworking spaces to breathe life back into historic corridors and overlooked neighborhoods.

After all, in Europe, coworking spaces stimulate job creation within local economies and support a variety of industries, from tech startups to creative agencies (Coworking Europe 2023). They also help revitalize underutilized urban areas, transforming them into vibrant business hubs (Coworking Europe 2023).

And office space, including coworking environments, is a serious component of a healthy downtown as it generates employment and daytime activity, supporting other businesses like restaurants, retail, and entertainment. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Coworking spaces often utilize existing buildings, promoting sustainable development and preserving architectural heritage while meeting modern business needs. And with the right space management tools, these spaces can work smarter, serve more people, and create lasting community impact.

"Coworking is the operating system that makes real estate matter to its community,” said David Walker, a coworking pioneer and founder of Coworking Consulting. “When owners redevelop idle space for flexible work, they catalyze startup communities and small business entrepreneurship, drawing innovators, mentors, funders, and city teams into one address to drive local economic development.”

Let’s look at how four Coworks-powered spaces are turning empty buildings into local engines of opportunity.

Turning a train station into a local hub in Terre Haute

The Station in Terre Haute, Indiana is more than a clever name. It’s an actual 1890s train station—reimagined as a coworking space that serves freelancers, startups, and community groups.

Thanks to flexible booking and visitor management tools from Coworks, The Station can serve a wide variety of people and events without missing a beat. A space that once represented the past now supports the future of work in Terre Haute.

Brewing community in Nebraska

Grand Island, Nebraska is truly a hub for innovation, connecting the midwest area’s entrepreneurs with an environment for learning and doing.

Covering a broad area that includes 25 counties, the Entrepreneurship Center at Central Community College offers personalized support in and around Grand Island, with a special emphasis on reaching rural areas.

Aimee Steinhardt-Duysen and her team provide business coaching, mentoring, and help with finding space, but the heart of their efforts lies in connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need.

Reimagining a hospital for social impact in St. Louis

Delmar Divine in St. Louis took a historic hospital building and transformed it into a coworking space for nonprofits and social impact organizations. It’s now home to changemakers who are invested in revitalizing the city from within.

With Coworks, Delmar Divine streamlines space reservations, manages different member tiers, and keeps the experience seamless for everyone who walks through the door. That operational ease gives them more time to focus on their mission.

Fueling entrepreneurship in Milwaukee

Fruition MKE isn’t just offering a place to work in Milwaukee—it’s nurturing Black entrepreneurs and creatives with affordable space and support.
By using Coworks software to manage space usage, drop-in access, and member communication, Fruition MKE empowers its founders to focus on programming and outreach instead of admin headaches. That’s what real revitalization looks like.

Software that supports your mission

What all these spaces have in common is vision. And the tools to bring it to life. Coworks is built to support coworking operators who are doing more than just renting desks. They’re reimagining spaces, rebuilding neighborhoods, and redefining what’s possible.

“The payoff of coworking goes well beyond rent,” Walker noted. “Bustling storefronts, stronger local supply chains, and a durable wave of progress powered by visionary asset stewardship that strengthens the entire local business ecosystem."

Whether you’re restoring a historic building or activating a downtown storefront, Coworks helps you manage the details so you can lead the big picture.

Lauren Walker
Coworks
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