Hybrid work has reshaped how and where people do business, and a pair of longtime friends, business owners and entrepreneurs just made another investment in what they already consider a winning concept – flexible workspace. 

Together with two other co-owners, Scott Gearheart and Mike Stoker recently opened their second Connect Workplace location at 1516 Jadwin Ave. in Richland on a site that was most recently home to an urgent care clinic, just south of Isla Bonita Mexican Restaurant.

Stoker and Gearheart also opened the Connect Workplace at 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite 200 in Kennewick, near Great Harvest Bread, which is also owned by Stoker.

“This is a model we understand,” Stoker said. “It solves real problems for real businesses and that’s why it works.”

A decade of experience

Open for nearly a decade, the owners say that the Kennewick Connect Workplace has been at max capacity for many years, and within weeks of its debut, the Richland site is already about a third full.

“This concept isn’t new to us,” Gearheart said during a walk-through of the newly remodeled space that includes 36 private offices ranging in size from 60 to 150 square feet. “I built my original business around a similar idea more than 25 years ago – before flexible offices had a name.”

Connect Workplace has an option for nearly every worker, including conference rooms, a large training room, co-working areas with a private room to take phone calls and shared amenities such as a lounge, kitchenette, printer and high-speed internet. The business even has an option for those who don’t need a workspace at all – clients can sign up for a plan that lets them use the location only as a mailing address, a helpful option for those who work from home and don’t want to use that address professionally.

“For a lot of people, the address alone matters,” Gearheart said. “They don’t want their home address showing up when someone Googles their business, and they don’t want customers showing up at their front door.”

Amenities included

Plans start at $25 for two-hour use of an office or a co-working day pass. Monthly plans for a one-person office range from $400-$700 depending on size and include a furnished office, meeting room access, mail and address service, lounge access, use of a print center, parking and guest passes.

Each office has a personal keypad entry and is accessible round-the-clock. A community manager is onsite from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. to greet visitors or those who have appointments scheduled with tenants. The role is intentionally titled and not considered a receptionist. 

“They greet guests, help tenants and really set the tone,” Gearheart said. “None of the other local operators do this the way we do.”

The entrepreneurs say their attention to culture has paid dividends in Kennewick, where tenants have formed referral relationships and, in some cases, long-term partnerships.

“We’ve seen companies share clients, collaborate and even merge,” Gearheart said. “We had two businesses meet here and end up becoming one.”

There’s no extra cost associated with having use of the community manager. It’s part of the overall cost to lease an office. As the offices fill up, that onsite role will increase in the hours the desk is staffed.

Stoker said the overall model is designed to eliminate some of the hassles associated with leasing traditional office space.

“One payment covers almost everything: internet, utilities, janitorial, taxes, reception and parking,” Stoker said. “People can focus on their work, not managing a building.”

This was the case with their second tenant at the Kennewick site. 

“We had someone who was renting 1,200 square feet because he felt like he needed an office with a conference room and a bathroom and even a little reception area, but it was just him and he was paying a huge amount of money,” Gearheart said. “Then we came along, and he comes over, and he’s got one office. We pay the internet, we pay the utilities, we pay the taxes and the receptionist. We figured we saved him probably 50% or more on what it was costing.”

Tenant mix

The tenant mix at the Connect Workplace sites reflects a broad cross-section of the local professional economy: attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, therapists, counselors, engineers, insurance agents, real estate professionals and consultants. Some tenants need a physical presence near federal facilities, Hanford-related work or the growing cluster of energy and engineering projects at the north end of Richland.

“People don’t necessarily need 5,000 square feet anymore; they need a quiet place to work; a professional setting to meet clients and flexibility,” Gearheart said. “You don’t have to meet clients in a coffee shop or restaurant anymore, and if you just need a quiet place away from kids, dogs or the refrigerator – we’ve got that covered, too.”

Together with co-owners Ron Carlson and Faustin Stevens, the business partners bought the Jadwin building and a connected address on Torbett Street for $1.4 million, with the second site available for additional office space or to rent to a single tenant in the future. They’ve put $400,000 into tenant improvements on the Jadwin side and are excited to invest in this part of town.

“We didn’t use city facade grants, but we do feel like we’re contributing,” Scott said. “This area is starting to move again, and we’re optimistic about what’s coming.”

Local contractor Pratt Construction handled the buildout of the Richland Connect Workplace, which involved reconfiguring interior spaces, including removing some walls and turning former exam rooms into offices.

“We wanted it to feel professional but grounded,” Scott said.

Interior design decisions were driven by the owners themselves, with Gearheart’s wife contributing to the final aesthetic. The result is modern and functional environment with artwork featuring subtle nods to the region’s agricultural roots – an intentional choice reflecting the farm background of both owners. 

Many Connect Workplace tenants aren’t from around here and are based in far-flung parts of the country. 

“We have companies based in Seattle, Washington, D.C., even Baltimore,” Gearheart said. “They don’t need a big office here, they just need a real footprint.”

Connect Workplace is now leasing, with offices starting at about 60 square feet, co-working spaces and large rooms. 

Go to: connectwp.com.