Before cutting the ribbon to officially open the Office Outpost, Bob Pranis of the Cook County Broadband Commission welcomed visitors and thanked all who had worked to create the telework facility. Joining him are fellow commission members Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro (left) and Mimi Gentz.
An interesting new facility has opened in the Grand Marais Municipal building on Broadway Avenue. The space that once housed the Grand Marais Tourist Information Center, but was vacant for about a year, has been repurposed to a stylish and welcoming workspace. It is now the Office Outpost, a telework space in the heart of Grand Marais. On Tuesday, July 12, a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house was held to introduce the co-working concept to the public.
After the ribbon cutting, the doors were opened for tours. Visitors were surprised at the transformation from a noisy, poster-bedecked information center to a quiet and clean space with 11 workstations. Bob Pranis of the Cook County Broadband Commission was pleased to explain that the Office Outpost is the perfect place for someone on vacation who wants to do a little bit of work on his or her laptop or a local entrepreneur who needs to get out of a noisy house to work for a few hours a week in a spot with high-speed Internet, access to a professional printer/scanner/copier and a Keurig coffee station.
Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro added that others might want to take advantage of the sunny conference room that will hold eight people or the private room with video conferencing capabilities.
One of the best things, explained Pranis, is that the facility with its amenities is open 24/7. Individuals wanting to use the space can visit the Office Outpost website on their smart phones for information. After paying the fee and downloading a free Kisi app, they are able to unlock and enter to get to work whenever they want.
Use of the facility is fee-based, with use plans running the gambit—$5 for just an hour; $25 for a day; $75 per week; or $150 for a month.
The response so far has been positive. A meeting held this spring brought about 25 people out to learn more. Several have already signed up to use the space, said Pranis.
Pranis noted that this is a pilot project. Office Outpost was created by the Cook County Broadband Commission with support from the Blandin Foundation, True North Broadband Access, Minnesota Power and other local partners, such as the City of Grand Marais, which is providing the space rent-free for the first year. Also contributing were the Cook County Chamber of Commerce and Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority.
“The first year we will collect data. We will see if there is a real need or not and then re-evaluate,” said Pranis.
However, he was confident that people will take advantage of the Office Outpost. “It’s in the perfect location,” he said.
Check out the Office Outpost website for more information about using the space: www.OfficeOutpost.space.
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