Local nonprofit ceases coworking operations at State College Municipal Building. Here’s what we know
After more than a decade of operation, local nonprofit New Leaf Initiative — which provided a coworking office and meeting space for daily and monthly fees — has closed its physical location in State College, and its future remains uncertain.
The organization’s board of directors announced Friday that it had closed its coworking facility on the third floor of the State College Municipal Building on Jan. 1. According to the borough, that area will now be used as office space.
Founded in 2009, with the third-floor space since 2014, New Leaf offered a place for remote professionals, small business owners and freelancers to work, print, meet and sip coffee. The organization, which predates communications technology giant Zoom by 2 years, acknowledged in a news release that the COVID-19 pandemic “significantly affected” its services.
“With the persistence of the pandemic and the borough’s need for additional space, we knew it was time to halt operations,” Abby Gaffron, New Leaf’s executive director, said in a written statement.
According to the news release, the board of directors will continue to meet regularly in 2022 “to meet ongoing obligations and evaluate new opportunities to serve the State College community.” When asked to clarify whether the nonprofit would dissolve after 2022, seek partnerships or even potentially find another space to continue its mission, a board member told the CDT there were not yet any firm plans.
Regardless, New Leaf will no longer be offering services from its longtime spot at the Municipal Building.
“The Borough of State College is proud to have worked with New Leaf since its inception and look forward to working with the board of directors as they explore future opportunities,” borough manager Tom Fountaine said.
According to New Leaf’s website, a full coworking membership had cost $350 monthly while a part-time coworking membership ranged from $80 to $200 monthly. A day pass cost $25.
Heidi Wrights, chair of the New Leaf board of directors, intimated in a written statement that State College no longer needs the organization like it once did — in part because of the change it helped create.
“Today, State College has more private and public coworking options, a vibrant arts and community hub in 3 Dots, and numerous entrepreneurship support programs — beyond what could have been imagined when New Leaf was founded in 2009,” Wrights wrote.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 3:51 PM.
