Volusia County entrepreneurs and remote workers are abuzz about Ripple Coworking’s newest coworking space in downtown Daytona Beach. Located in the historic Old Daytona Beach News-Journal Building on Orange Avenue, the coworking space has been attracting professionals from Daytona, Ormond Beach, Port Orange and Deland.
The new coworking space is approximately 25,000 sq. ft. and features:
72 offices and four conference rooms,- a 4,000 sq. ft. community lounge,
- self storage, and
- a dedicated area for light medical businesses like chiropractors, massage therapists and psychologists.
“There are lots of Daytona area professionals who have been working from home since the start of the COVID pandemic and they are realizing that with pets, kids and spouses around, it can be hard to focus,” said Ripple co-owner Stephen Furnari. “Our members are seeing big improvements in efficiency working from a distraction free office, even for just a few days a week.”
According to Furnari, home-based workers report that they miss being around other people. “We’re seeing lots of engagement between our members, including the exchange of business referrals, resource sharing and general networking,” says Furnari. “It’s like people have been craving in-person social interaction while at work.”
The Historic News-Journal Building was constructed in 1926 and, for 41 years, it served as the headquarters of the Daytona Daily News-Journal (the predecessor of the present-day Daytona News-Journal), which is the oldest continuously functioning newspaper organization in Volusia County. The building has also been home to the Halifax Historical Society, several law firms and legal aid.
“The building required substantial modernization,” said Furnari. “But, it was important for us to preserve the historic charm of the building while also including the kinds of modern finishes that today’s professionals expect.”
For example, a 10-foot square vault made with two-foot thick concrete was removed to make room for Ripple’s new reception area. “We joked that it was where reporters kept dirt on local politicians, but more likely it’s where paperboy collections were held until they were deposited in a bank,” he added.
This is Ripple’s second coworking space in the Volusia-Flagler area; their oceanfront location in Flagler Beach has been operating successfully since 2017.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the vibrant and growing Downtown community,” said Furnari.
Ripple Coworking provides professional office space rentals, virtual office services, desk space usage and conference rooms on a short- or long-term basis for business owners, not-for-profit companies and remote workers, with locations in Flagler Beach and Daytona Beach, Florida.
