WeWork opens at University of Maryland College Park, its first coworking space on a university campus

WeWork is officially in Maryland.
The coworking giant said Monday that it opened a new location at the University of Maryland College Park. It’s the first WeWork to be located on a college campus.
“We are incredibly proud that Maryland’s first WeWork workspace is their first location on a college campus in the entire country,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. “WeWork empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect with their communities and provides them with spaces that inspire success. Our administration remains steadfastly committed to ensuring Maryland is open for business and the ways that today’s innovative companies like WeWork can thrive.”
The space covers more than 16,500 sq. ft. over two floors. It has more than 300 desks, as well as communal space and access to conference rooms. According to WeWork, it offers a mix of dedicated desks, hot desks that can be used temporarily and private offices. Owings Mills–based Chesapeake Realty Partners led the design and construction of the space.
Located off of Baltimore Ave. at 7761 Diamondback Drive, the space is located in a repurposed building in the same area as a recently-opened Capital One innovation space and The Hotel at the University of Maryland. Adobe also plans to move into the area. It’s part of an effort dubbed the Discovery District that aims to bring entrepreneurs and larger companies into the fold on campus alongside students and researchers. Greenbelt-based Cybrary also plans to move to the area.
“The unique partnership model is a first for WeWork and presents us with a huge opportunity to access the vast talent pipeline and innovative atmosphere of the UMD campus,” Lex Miller, WeWork Director of Business Operations for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement.
For WeWork, the new location is part of a planned expansion into Maryland. Going forward, the company also has plans to open a space at a new building in Baltimore’s Harbor Point by 2020.