Is 3rd Ward closing?

3rd Ward, the Williamsburg coworking and education space, shut down last night without warning, according to The New York Observer. Technically Brooklyn had reached out to the space earlier this week, motivated by its Fundrise campaign, without response.

The same rumor mill has been happening in Philadelphia, where 3rd Ward developed and expanded into a beautifully renovated 27,000 square foot industrial space. The classes there have been cancelled, and instructors are saying the whole operation is shuttering, though official word hasn’t come. Technically Brooklyn hasn’t independently confirmed the Brooklyn news.

There was no response. Gothamist has an additional source who says that no amount of fundraising could have saved the space.

The piece quotes an unnamed member who gives a status update:

Apparently there’s foreclosure or bankruptcy (rumors are flying), but they are putting it on lockdown tomorrow morning – rumors of shutting down of electricity even by midnight… there’s thousands of members that don’t know about the shut down, and a huge amount worth of art and personal supplies from Brooklyn members- some of whom have called the studio home for more than 6 years…
update: last staff person is on duty tonight and he just announced wood shop, metal shop, classrooms and photo studio will all be shut down (tonight?) and power cut.

[New York Observer]

Without word from the company, it’s impossible to say whether or not this is permanent, but, as the quote says above, the lights are set to be turned off, if they haven’t been shut off already.