Submitted
PLAINVILLE — Downtown Plainville Inc. announced Thursday it is partnering with the Plainville Community Foundation to bring a coworking space to downtown Plainville.
“Thanks to grant funds and pledges from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the Heartland Community Foundation, Rooks County Economic Development, the Andreson Trust, Rooks County Healthcare Foundation, and the Plainville Community Foundation, we are very excited to launch a program aimed at bringing more entrepreneurs and professionals to downtown Plainville,” said Kelli Hansen, president of DPI.
The coworking space will occupy the currently vacant building located at 223 W. Mill St.
“COVID-19 really forced executives to realize over the last year that people can get work done regardless of where they are,” DPI Board Member Ashley Comeau said. “As companies transition away from expensive, traditional office environments in large cities, we expect to see more people return to rural areas, and we want Plainville to be prepared to benefit from that.”
Visitors to Plainville will also be welcome to use the space on an as-needed basis, as space allows.
In addition, the DPI Board has been in touch with the northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center to learn more about the Rural & Remote program. Rural & Remote, an initiative of Ogallala Commons, is a program that provides job placement support for many different career tracks for those who want to live in northwest Kansas and work for companies across the nation that hire remote workers. These positions vary widely, and include jobs in marketing, office administration, sales, graphic design, coding, and more. DPI plans to pursue recruitment opportunities through Rural & Remote and similar programs.
The coworking space, which is ADA accessible, will initially offer six open workspaces, a private meeting room, a small kitchenette, and a storm shelter. In addition to WiFi, water and coffee will be provided as amenities, with more services added as funding allows. Downtown Plainville Inc. plans to host an open house and grand opening for the coworking space later this year and will publicly announce rates and more information at that time.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the coworking space or Downtown Plainville Inc. can email [email protected].