MakeOffices is opening a new location on K Street

MakeOffices, the D.C.-born brand of coworking spaces, announced on Wednesday that the company will open a new location in the District proper. The new space is at 1015 15th St. NW — in other words, smack in the middle of the “power corridor” that is K Street.
“K Street is at the center of business in Washington DC, where powerful change is made,” MakeOffices CEO Raymond Rahbar said in a statement. “MakeOffices’ K Street coworking community will be a place where Washington insiders and disruptors alike can make their mark.”
The office will span two floors and 35,000 square feet, and will have 112 offices the biggest of which accommodates 13 desks. Rahbar says that makes it just a bit smaller than the company’s flagship Clarendon location. Additionally, an open kitchen and events space will be able to host events with 100 plus attendees. The location, joining MakeOffices outposts in Dupont, Rosslyn, Bethesda, Tysons, Reston Town Center and Clarendon (not to mention Philly and Chicago), will open Dec. 5.
(Of note: Expansion plans in Philly have been rocky, our sister site recently reported.)
Coworking on K Street, by at least some approximations, shows the steady march of this concept toward the mainstream. K Street is not known as a center for D.C.’s creative economy — rather it’s where lawyers and lobbyists and think-tank workers reign. And this is precisely the kind of clientele that MakeOffices (and competitors WeWork and cove, both of which also have K Street locations) is trying to lure. The question is,  do “collaborative workspaces and networking communities” appeal in these more traditional D.C. industries?
In a conversation with Technical.ly, Rahbar said he expects to see the location appealing to members who are bridging the gap between the creative, startup worlds and the government, think tank and lobbying worlds. Think business-to-government startups or designers working on federal projects.
“You don’t go to K and 15th unless you’re really ready to lay down your roots in that D.C. power corridor,” he said.