The Lodge creates "co-working" open office space in Downtown Edwardsville

EDWARDSVILLE - After years of sitting vacant, the old Moose Lodge in Downtown Edwardsville is seeing new life as The Lodge opens this month at 231 N. Main Street in Edwardsville.

The “co-working” office space allows for an individual to have a private working space while also maintaining an open space that allows networking and collaborating with peers.

Jay Beard, the owner of the Lodge, said he wanted to create a space in the downtown area, that has plenty of walk-ability that could be affordable for people who couldn’t otherwise afford a downtown office space.

“It can be very expensive down here,” he said. “I wanted to take a gamble, and create a space that could be shared by the work from homers, the freelancers, the entrepreneurs and you get to work with other people in work community.”

Lodge members have 24-hour access to work with their own deadlines while having access to the conference room, cafe with craft beer on tap and coffee, copy machine, lounge, commons area and the meditation/quiet room for private phone calls or a place to clear your head without a screen.

“We tried to put everything you could possibly want if you working from or in an office,” Beard said. “But the biggest thing we would like to see is people networking, communication and building those relationships and connections.”

With additional space still yet to be finished, Beard said the ultimate goal is to expand and continue to renovate the other portion of the building.

“We have another side of the building that's a third of the size to grow into, we want to expand,” he said. “ We’re waiting to see how people respond. Do we need more conference rooms or recreational space? We want people to feel comfortable and comfortable enough to think outside of the box.”

For more information on The Lodge and membership information visit www.thelodgeworks.com.

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