WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Sandwiched between stores and restaurants in Rosemary Square and above the fountains where children are cooling off and playing, a new trend is taking off in downtown West Palm Beach.
"I live over in Palm Beach on the ocean and I just couldn’t work there," said CJ Getz, an accountant for a private investment company in Chicago.
Getz is also a snowbird and spends part of the year in Palm Beach County. He found himself needing a workplace away from the distractions.
"I come over here and it’s a good disconnect for leaving home. I come to the office and I’m around a lot of other people that are doing the same thing," Getz said.
For the second year, Getz is renting a workspace at Venture X, a collaborative office environment now in demand with local workers and part-time residents.
"They come here without having to have the substantial capital cost of going and finding a long-term lease somewhere else," said Josh Shronce, Director of Business Development at Venture X.
There are a variety of businesses and companies that have set up shop with employees from all across the country, and with the offices being right above Rosemary Square, everyone is helping contribute to the local economy.
"The restaurants and all the shops here they love we have an influx of new tenants, new members, new small businesses in the area," Shronce said.
The Downtown Development Authority said it doesn’t have any hard numbers yet, but it has noticed the new demand for workspace.
For Getz, it’s also a source for networking.
"Everybody bounces ideas off of each other and so we share knowledge." Getz said. "I feel like I’m contributing here."