Lake County Gazette

The future of modern coworking could be coming to downtown Libertyville.

Brick & Mortar, a tech-enabled coworking company with locations in Park Ridge, Deerfield, LaGrange and Glen Ellyn, is proposing to open an 8,100-square-foot facility in the 400 block of Main Street in downtown Libertyville.

The facility will serve as a modern coworking space for transient professionals, entrepreneurs, and potential future retail storefront owners, said Andrew Nast, co-managing partner of Brick & Mortar. If approved at the April 12 village board meeting, Brick and Mortar could funnel an additional 50-plus people daily to the restaurants, taverns and vibrant retail market along Main Street in downtown Libertyville.

“Hybrid work is here to stay,” Nast said. “Studies show employees are leaving employers who do not offer the type of flexibility that allows them to work from home or at a modern coworking location like Brick & Mortar offers.”

For those not familiar with this new, fresh, take on corporate America, “Modern Coworking” is a business service model where individuals who previously conducted business by commuting from the suburbs to large cities are now able to utilize shared office space in the suburbs. These people work independently or collaboratively with others who also do not waste hours on long commutes to Chicago

or Milwaukee.

Brick & Mortar customers can purchase a membership package that allows access to a private office, a

dedicated desk, a quiet conference room or thoughtfully designed community areas. On days when coworking members book an office or desk, they have full use of the community office amenities including wifi, electronic sit/stand desks, complimentary coffee, office printers and soundproof phone booths.

“The convenience of having my own office and all the amenities like the conference room is too good to

pass up,” said 32-year-old Michelle Conners, a Libertyville resident who uses Brick & Mortar offices in Park Ridge. “Knowing this new space would be situated in the heart of downtown Libertyville within walking distance to great restaurants and bars—it’s perfect for us.”

Experts have determined 30 percent of the nation’s workforce are remote employees either working at coffee shops, a variation of coworking facilities or at their kitchen table. Most of these people are self- employed, telecommuters or freelance workers who require conference rooms and other office amenities provided by Brick & Mortar.

Conners said her husband also has the luxury of working from home to avoid commuting but often

struggles to find a quiet location to meet with clients in Libertyville. “It’s definitely challenging for my husband to find a space to work or have a meeting,” she said. “When

he meets with a client, he is forced to work at a noisy coffee shop or grab space at the library. Something like this would be perfect for both of us.”

Brick & Mortar’s current coworking environment would also provide downtown Libertyville with professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners during lunch time hours, Nast said. It would add new shoppers for the boutique retail shops along Main Street and provide plenty of patrons for Main

Street’s entertainment and taverns locations after 5 p.m. “Our members will absolutely love the ability to walk downtown, shop the retail stores, eat at the

amazing restaurants, then stop in at Mickey Finns or O’Toole’s for a beer after work,” Nast said. “Park

Ridge has far exceeded our expectations, and we already have a buzz about our locations in Deerfield,

LaGrange and Glen Ellyn. But I think the Libertyville location could exceed them all.”

Humberto Martinez, Jr., owner of O’Tooles Libertyville located next to the proposed Brick & Mortar facility, said having something that generates potential customers downtown that isn’t just another restaurant would be a welcome addition.

“It sounds like a great idea,” Martinez said. “We’d like to see something different than another restaurant in that location. This sounds like a logical choice.”

Nast acknowledged the idea that company employees and young suburban transient professionals are now pushing to work remotely with COVID in the rear-view mirror.

“This whole idea of working closer to home may have started with COVID, but people have resoundingly decided they do not want to spend their time commuting to and from larger cities when everything they need is either at or near home,” Nast said. “Brick & Mortar provides what they need like conference rooms, an office door and quiet phone areas on a very flexible basis.”

Nast said the Libertyville location would be the company’s fifth Brick & Mortar location in Illinois. He

said the company chose Libertyville over Vernon Hills for the next location because Libertyville’s Main Street has that ideal “walkability” demographic.

Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson said she was wowed by Brick & Mortar’s Park Ridge location and admitted the co-networking facility would help fill one of many vacancies along Main Street in downtown Libertyville. However, she said, the village board needs to walk a fine line when deciding whether to move in office spaces along the first floor of Main Street where small retail businesses have

been locating.

“I went to the Park Ridge location. I like the concept of the open conference room space and having people go online and register to use the facility,” Johnson said. “This is a very delicate dance. I don’t like

seeing storefronts vacant for two years, but I also don’t want to put multiple office buildings along the

first floor of Main Street like we had before.”

For additional information or original photos, please reach out to Lee Filas, Filas Media Consulting, at (847) 772-9927 or through email at lfilas@filasmedia.com.

April 6, 2022 For additional information or interviews: For immediate release: Lee Filas/Filas Media Consulting 847-772-9927

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