Coworking

Post-COVID Economy Makes 

Shared Spaces More Attractive

By Guy Fletcher

Located in two side-by-side historic buildings on East Patrick Street, Cowork Frederick’s members share 6,000 square feet where they can rent a cubicle, private office and various other workspaces, plus support like lockers, printers and mailboxes.

Here, engineers, artists and nonprofit professionals work beside accountants, writers and almost any other job that can be performed remotely.

“We have a very diverse community, which is a part of our strength,” explains Julia Ferguson, co-founder of Cowork Frederick, now in its 12th year. She points to the collaborative potential of people coming from various professions, without the concern for office politics that might erupt when working in the same discipline or for the same company.

And it isn’t just work. There are also areas for crafting and relaxing, as well as a kitchen and yard. Members can host happy hours and company picnics here.

In Frederick County, there are several options for coworking spaces. In addition to Cowork Frederick, there is SHIFT Work + Play, Squadstyle Work ‘n Wellness and the recently opened Wren’s Nest in Middletown, among others. Another Downtown business, Avita Lifestyle Center, is scheduled to open later this year.

Coworking spaces appeal to people from various backgrounds. Some are sole proprietors who need affordable workspaces (and good WiFi). Others are remote workers employed by large companies who miss the social side of a traditional office. They fueled a new coworking industry that was growing in the 2010s. 

Then came the COVID pandemic, which had many coworkers leaving the spaces for home. Cowork Frederick lost a third of its members. “It really was a scary time because there were so many unknowns,” Ferguson says.

The rebound from the pandemic hasn’t been as dramatic, but it has come. Cowork Frederick had 51 members when it celebrated an expansion and “grand re-opening” in August 2023. It now has 82 members and expects to reach 100 by the year’s end. 

“The pandemic impacted how people work. People do virtual meetings more than they used to. They got a taste of the flexibility of not having to be in the office every day,” Ferguson says. “They grew accustomed to having more personal time.  They were also reminded of how much they need a community.”

The post-COVID world brought opportunity to coworking spaces with the continued need for remote work, but it also brought a new challenge: working from home. “The home office is really our biggest competitor,” she says.

In response, Cowork Frederick aims to offer what the home cannot: people. But more practically, the business has been making improvements by adding phone booths, more social events (some with a virtual option), and extended hours. There is also a “tag team” option for life or business partners who want to take turns using a membership; this is especially attractive, for example, if the partners alternate who stays home with a child. Upstairs at Cowork are studio and one-bedroom micro-apartments for stays of one week to one year.

“You can work, play, live and stay all under one roof in Downtown Frederick,” Ferguson says. 

Well, two roofs.