Co-working spaces could offer evolution for downtown Winnipeg post-pandemic

With the workforce in downtown Winnipeg still a fraction of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible co-working spaces could help revitalize the area in the meantime.

"This is an evolution in how people are going to work," said Jason Abbott of Launch Coworking Space.

Launch is a Winnipeg company that offers temporary working spaces. Entrepreneurs and companies rent out desks, offices and meeting spaces for however long they need instead of paying rent for their own office space.

Launch has three locations, the latest of which opened in the Grain Exchange Building on Lombard Avenue in March 2020. Abbott acknowledges that the area is "quiet" at the moment, but sees a future for flex work spaces.

Downtown crowd fraction of what it was

There were 70,000 people who used to work downtown before the pandemic, according to the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.

A poll of 600 Winnipeg adults conducted for the BIZ by Probe Research in September, suggests only about one-quarter of people who were working downtown before COVID are now back every day.

The survey was conducted between Sept. 7 and 20 with a margin of error of plus or minus four per cent.

Traditional office spaces are starting to bring employees back to the area. True North Sports and Entertainment has had all 185 of its downtown-stationed employees back in the office since August.

The City of Winnipeg says the majority of its employees are back to work — 17 per cent of city employees are working remotely, at least part-time.

Still, other companies are keeping their employees at home.

About 10 per cent of employees at Manitoba Hydro's Portage Avenue building have been working there since the pandemic started. The company says it's considering a hybrid model for employees, but that won't start until the new year.

Option for Manitobans who can work from home

Abbott said flex co-working spaces will be an important part of the conversation for downtown Winnipeg's future. He hopes many of those former downtown employees who aren't required to go back to the office might choose his location to do some of their work.

"The big reason why we came downtown was because we had members who wanted to be here," said Abbott.

"Portage and Main has been a business epicentre for decades, and I think there's a strong future in that. But we as a corporate community need to ensure we deliver value so there's a strong business atmosphere here."

Abbott said temporary office spaces will help people get out of the pandemic funk they might have experienced by working from home. And with like-minded people downtown, it's a way to help grow businesses that might have sparked during the pandemic, too.

"The people are what make the difference," he said.

"The people are what inspire you to think differently. The people are what inspire you to make that extra sales call, and you don't get that from your cat."

'It's very energetic'

Mahmoud Alzaibaq, his co-founders and their team have run their IT company at Launch's locations for years, spending the last two at the Exchange District location — even through the pandemic. He lives in St. Vital, but believes it's important to have his company centred downtown.

"Most of the clients that we serve, they're clinics, pharmacies, hotels. They're near that area. So it made sense to have our central office being in downtown Winnipeg," he said.

Alzaibaq said he has no plans to change the temporary work space model for himself and his team of five.

"It's very energetic. It's very inspiring," he said.

"I want to come to the office everyday because of how nicely designed this space is. The air circulation, the cleanliness of the space. It all adds up and it plays a significant role in the psychology of how we do things."