‘The future of work’ comes to downtown Las Vegas

Quentin Abramo runs Faciliteq, a company that does workplace interiors, from the downtown Las Vegas building that bears the business' name.

For years, he rented space to other small businesses that shared the building's open interior — a job he admits he did "poorly" without a formal business plan.

But now Abramo has formalized the shared-space, co-work operation in a new role as managing partner of Co-Operate On, LLC.

And he has enlisted Nicole Mastrangelo as Co-Operate On's community manager. She runs the co-working operation and is working with Abramo to re-brand the building at 817 S. Main St., a renovated 40's-era auto repair shop in an eclectic neighborhood between the downtown business district and the Arts District.

For Mastrangelo, working for Abramo is coming full circle. She worked for a company that rented space in the Faciliteq building two years ago before a one-year stint with the Downtown Project's co-working center, Work In Progress.

Small businesses like a co-working space because it can save them money compared to renting office building space and it provides built-networking opportunities with fellow space-sharing business owners who might be up for new business deals and added revenues.

As part of the new business plan, Abramo intends to re-brand the interior of his building with the Co-Operate On name, create outdoor seating and provide indoor space for a coffee and pastries area that will be serviced by a cupcake maker called Muffcakes.

"It's the future of work— sharing space, collaborative space, community space," Abramo said.

Co-Operate On Main at Faciliteq will rent a desk and computer with Internet service for as little as $100 per month. That's the least-expensive of four membership levels. More expensive options are $350, $550 or $1,500 per month, depending on the tenant's space needs.

The place is filled with 18 tenants, including three non-profits that pay a discounted 50 percent of the monthly membership costs. Tenants include architects, tech companies and Lyft, the app-based ride-hailing business.

Kenny Eliason, owner of NeONBRAND digital marketing, said he pays $1,500 per month to put a roof over the head of his six employees, utilities included. The ambiance of the old garage is a plus, he said.

"We weighed the costs and it would cost more than $1,500 to have a place that looks so cool," Eliason said Friday.

Rob Gurdison, owner of Make Studios, a design-build company that rents space in the building, said he'd have to pay as much as 15 percent more for rented space in a traditional commercial building. He also likes networking with fellow businesses there.

"This gives me opinions from people who are not in my profession," Gurdison said.

Success on Main Street has prompted Abramo to branch out. Co-Operate On also runs a second space-sharing operation with four tenants at the Emergency Arts building on Fremont Street. Abramo spent $15,000 on the Co-Operate on Fremont operation to renovate Emergency Arts space to create room for two or three more tenants.

And a third co-working Co-Operate On location is set to open on Casino Center Boulevard in the Arts District in the first quarter of 2016. That project will cost $150,000, Abramo said. The Casino Center site should accommodate 10 companies.

Contact Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel.