Seattle is now home to dozens of coworking spaces, but in West Seattle, West Seattle Coworking stands alone. Separated from downtown by a bridge, and traffic, the small but mighty coworking space is the only coworking space in the area and a go-to resource for the area’s independent workforce.

The space has been around for years, but in May of 2017, Crystal and Rosario (Ross) Bevilacqua bought the space and have made it their own. Ross, a remote worker, was a longtime member of West Seattle Coworking. When the opportunity to purchase it came up, he and Crystal jumped at the chance.

I chatted with Ross about revitalizing the coworking space, the people who make up the West Seattle Coworking community, and his unique perspective as both a remote worker and the space owner. Here are the highlights of our conversation.

Cat Johnson: What inspired you and Crystal to buy West Seattle Coworking? How did the space come to be in your hands?

Ross Bevilacqua: This is the only coworking space in West Seattle. I had been working remote for four years, coming into the space when it was owned and operated by somebody else.The previous owners decided it was time for them to let go and move on. My wife and I talked and decided to see if we could buy the space and bring some new life into it. In May of 2017, we decided to pull the trigger and we bought it.

When you decided to revitalize the space, what potential did you see that you could bring out?

We are the only option in the West Seattle area, but we were not very visible. People who lived on the street, or drive by every day, had no idea we existed. My wife and I made a few minor changes, including a sign out front and a lighted name board. That immediately made the space a little bit more visible as you drive by, and for people who live nearby. Then we freshened it up inside. We put a new coat of paint on the walls, we decluttered, we got rid of unwanted or unused furniture that was taking up space but doing nothing. Those little changes have already made a difference.

What are the biggest challenges you have with West Seattle Coworking?

One of the challenges we have, being in West Seattle in our residential neighborhood, is that it doesn't have the vibrancy some other Seattle neighborhoods, like Capitol Hill or Fremont. Here, we get a more marginal exposure to the market of remote workers and freelancers. The population we can target is restricted here. A lot of the people here bought their home 15 years ago. They just wanted the water feel, the island feel, and they don't cowork.

The other challenge is that so many people are moving in, it’s creating a shortage of real estate, so prices are skyrocketing. We're paying top dollar for a space that a few years ago was much much cheaper. Our rent goes up together with everyone else’s.

How’s are things going in the space since you took over?

We’re definitely in the green. When we first bought the business, I had to write a check to supplement the monthly cost of operations—we were well in the red. The changes I mentioned before have helped, and we've done some marketing which has brought new people here.

What type of professional does the space attract? Who makes up the West Seattle Coworking community?

We have a healthy mix of everybody. We have architects, we have IT personnel and software engineers, we have a couple of small groups, we have people who work in the advertising industry. That mix is something we treasure very much.

We’re trying to stay away from just targeting one specific branch of the population. We don't want to have a space just for accountants or just for lawyers. We like and appreciate the diversity of occupations. Everybody wins because when they have tax questions or legal questions or software-related questions, there's always somebody who will be able to answer those questions.

Has the day-to-day feel of the space changed since you took over?

The previous owners were busy with other businesses, so they weren't here as much. I work remote, so I'm here a lot. If someone has a question, or if someone comes by and wants to see the space, it's easy for me to show them, or restock the toner or paper, or whatever needs to be done.

What’s the mix of workspaces like at West Seattle Coworking?

We have zero offices. We have two different work settings: an open desk or a cubicle space. When somebody comes here, they can choose either to have a permanent desk or a floating desk, but it's always going to be a desk. There’s another space in the neighborhood that specializes in just offices. They have a large building and a large presence, so it would be pointless for us to try to compete with them.

As both a remote worker and a space owner and operator, you have a unique perspective on coworking.

Yes, I’ve been using the space as a patron for many years. I’m one of them. I’m not a guy behind the desk on the fifth floor that walks around to make sure everything is in order. If the kitchen is dirty, it's dirty for everyone, including me. If the sink is clogged, that's a problem for me, as well as the other members.

As one of the newcomers to the Seattle Collaborative Space Alliance, what do you like about being part of the community of shared workspace operators?

The alliance is great. You get to rub shoulders with people who are in your same boat. Since I don’t compete with the other space owners, I can easily contribute and be candid about a situation or questions we might have, without any problem.

Thanks, Ross, do you have any big-picture thoughts or observations about coworking you’d like to add?

I’ve found, from my experience as a coworker, people are much more productive when they’re in a coworking space than when they’re in the office. In the office, there is a lot of wasted time, and you have a lot of chat by the water cooler, you make sure that you take your hour-long break. Here, people just diligently do their work. They take a little break, but then they go right back to their work.

Coworking is much more productive then an office, where you have people sitting in on meetings that they don't need to go to. In some situations you need to be close to your team, but that's not true for most situations. I’m a big fan of coworking.West Seattle Coworking is a great business force in the local community. We get to incubate businesses and we’re a place where people can rub shoulders with other members. It’s a great thing for our neighborhood. If we weren’t here, it would create some minor economic hardship on the neighborhood itself.

West Seattle Coworking is a member of the Seattle Collaborative Space Alliance. Learn more about joining the community of member spaces.

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