The loft in MonOrchid, a multi-use venue in downtown Phoenix, is no longer filled with members of the coworking business CO+HOOTS, which moved Saturday to its new space at Washington and 11th Streets.
In August, CO+HOOTS founder Jenny Poon moved the business from its original space in the Bayless Building at Garfield and Seventh streets to MonOrchid, an arts and small-business space located at Roosevelt and Third streets, as it prepared to move to its new location in the developing Washington Row district east of downtown.
“I had my eyes on staying in the Roosevelt Row corridor,” Poon said. “This place is supporting light rail, walkable and bike-able areas.”
Lance Meilech, the new location’s owner, is excited that CO+HOOTS is moving into the space, which used to be an auto-repair facility when he acquired it in 2007.
“Jenny’s creativity, vision and leadership is what drove me to have her as a tenant,” Meilech said.
Wayne Rainey, owner of MonOrchid, said the space benefited from having CO+HOOTS.
“I think they were great. They brought in a lot of diverse young companies,” Rainey said. “I think there’s the beginnings of a new relationship and new partnerships.”
Rainey has already begun the process of finding new tenants for the space CO+HOOTS members occupied.
“I suspect it to be full in a month or so,” he said.
The loft CO+HOOTS once occupied is already finding renters, Rainey said. A pod on the ground floor that belonged to CO+HOOTS member company Tony Felice PR & Image Management has also been leased.
While MonOrchid is filling up the space with new businesses, Rainey is hopeful that MonOrchid and CO+HOOTS will work together again in the future.
“Best case scenario, I would love for them to take over the coworking aspect here one day, because I am wearing a lot of different hats right now,” Rainey said.
In addition to owning MonOrchid, Rainey works as a photographer. His business, Rainey Studios, is housed in the building.
CO+HOOTS director of operations Kelsey Wong said their time in MonOrchid was one of growth and expansion. CO+HOOTS filled 85 percent of its available memberships while in MonOrchid.
“It was really amazing bringing all of our collective energy into one space,” Wong said.
On Thursday before the move, Stacey Champion, founder of Rogue Green, hosted a going-away party for CO+HOOTS. Members of MonOrchid and the community gathered to give the business a proper send-off that featured games such as mobile karaoke and Twister.
Champion, who runs a public relations and consulting firm in MonOrchid, said she is sad that CO+HOOTS is transferring locations. However, she understands the business is ready for its own space again.
“Someone new can come be my neighbor now,” Champion said.
By Saturday morning, CO+HOOTS had transferred all of its offices from MonOrchid into the new location, which will be running almost immediately after construction finishes. The business, renamed CO+HOOTS 2.0, will be operating as early as Monday morning. On Dec. 7 it will be hosting a grand reopening party, with more information to be announced through its newsletter.
Poon said she was grateful for the chance to operate CO+HOOTS in MonOrchid.
“We loved it there and we’re really fortunate that Wayne let us in,” she said.
Contact the reporter at motarola@asu.edu
