Independent businesses and artists together (Part II)

I’m finishing up the discussion (for now) about the Logan Square Arts and Business Center (Logan Square ABC).  I’ve had a lot to say about it already because I believe it’s a promising direction for a vital Milwaukee Avenue and Logan Square.

Making room for business

While the Logan Square ABC lends legitimacy to the artist tenants, it can also create room to thrive and grow for business tenants.  Like so many entrepreneurs, one of the founders of the Logan Square Mompreneurs, Carolyn Ou, started her Sandbox Consulting career and business coaching business from her home.  But, as a mom, that quickly meant doing business out of her car!

With two kids at home, the car was often the only place she could find the quiet to coach her clients by phone.  Even when there was relative quiet on the home front, Carolyn found it difficult to separate home and work life.

She moved out of the home and into another co-office space that she shared with another.  When her co-office mate decided not to renew the lease, Carolyn was faced with the less appealing choices of moving back to her car! or facing the possibility of having to keep finding co-office

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ABC’s of the Logan Square Arts and Business Center

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Logan Square Arts and Business Center

Like Rudolph and Herbie (see video above), some local businesses and artists are going it alone together in the shared office space of the Logan Square Arts and Business Center at 2823 N. Milwaukee Avenue.

Lourdes Arencibia created the co-office space (photo below) just last year from what had previously been a mortgage office where she once worked.  The second floor space is part of her family’s business that includes Crown Liquors and the Crown Tap Room below.  Once the mortgage business vacated the space as part of the recent housing reset, Lourdes had been looking for a single tenant while at the same time wondering if she could rent the many small offices individually.