An Ohio-based coworking company has purchased the historic Harlan Hotel in downtown St. Pete. The 4-story, 14,000 square foot building, located at 15 8th Street North, will be converted into a coworking facility with a restaurant and bar on the ground level. The sale of the building closed on April 2nd for $2.25 million.

“We are going to make a significant investment in the building,” said John Watkins, Co-Principal at COhatch Regional Development Ventures, which is the development arm of COhatch. “We haven’t gotten permit approval yet, so I don’t know what the final cost will be, but it’ll be well into the seven figures.”

The Harlan Hotel was originally built in 1925 during a time of extraordinary growth for the city. The building was added to the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places in 1997.

“We love historically and architecturally significant buildings like The Harlan,” said Watkins. “We want to preserve the character of The Harlan and enhance it in a way that honors the legacy of the architecture.”

COhatch describes itself as a new kind of shared work, social, and family space built on community that offers members the services, activities, and amenities to live a fully integrated life that balances work, family, well-being, community, and giving back.

The company was founded in 2016 through the collaboration of a group of friends who wanted to live out their ideal lives and improve their community. The company currently operates ten locations throughout Ohio and Indiana.

Along with the St. Pete location, COhatch also has plans to open this year in Lakeland and West Tampa. And over the next few years, they hope to open around 15 locations in the greater Tampa Bay area.

“This step outside the Midwest is a significant one for us,” said Matt Davis, co-founder and CEO of COhatch. “We’re working to strengthen communities and improve lives, and we’re excited to be able to carry that mission outside of our headquarters region.”

COhatch will join an already robust collection of coworking spaces that are scattered throughout St. Petersburg. Station House debuted in 2014, which paved the way for other local operators, such as Rising Tide Innovation Center and Clear Labs. Today, downtown St. Pete boasts over ten coworking spaces including national companies, like Industrious and Regus.

Membership pricing at COhatch’s St. Pete location is expected to be comparable to their outposts up north. The entry-level membership starts at $59 per month which includes 10 hours of access to the facility, among other perks. If your needs call for a private office with unlimited access, you’d be looking at around $600 per month.

COhatch is expecting to have 25 to 30 private office memberships available and space for 150 to 200 coworking members that can come and go any time between 8 am to 5 pm. The St. Pete location is still in the design phase, but other COhatch locations include amenities such as phone booths for private phone calls, fully equipped podcast rooms, meeting rooms, and event spaces.

“We’re naturally focused on providing the best flexible office solutions and business tools, but we’re also working to provide opportunities to promote collaboration, volunteerism, and community service,” Davis said. “We want this to be a place where people will cultivate community connectivity and live their ideal lives.”

No official announcement has been made regarding the restaurant and bar, but a logo spotted in the exterior rendering of the building suggests the food and beverage operator could be North High Brewery, which is based in Columbus, OH. The brewery has accompanied COhatch at numerous locations in Ohio as well. The restaurant will be open to the public.

COhatch spaces will also be available to the community for private events after working hours and on weekends. Rental fees will fund scholarships to local non-profit organizations through the COhatch GIVE Scholarship program. The program provides scholarships in each market annually to 501c3 organizations supporting issues related to human trafficking, domestic violence, homelessness, and developmental disabilities, among others.

COhatch is expected to open at 15 8th Street North in the fourth quarter of 2021. Be sure to visit their website for more information and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date.