July 14, 2013 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Centre for Social Innovation, a nonprofit in Toronto that has provided shared work spaces to charities and social entrepreneurs for nine years, opened its first outpost in the United States in May.
It did not set out to stake a claim in New York.
After resisting earlier offers to expand, the organization instead published a series of guides in 2009 to help other groups develop shared work spaces for the use of groups committed to doing social good in their communities.
But the situation changed in January 2012, when Scott Rechler, chief executive of RXR Realty, sent a friend to Toronto to meet with leaders of the Centre for Social Innovation and tour its facilities. Mr. Rechler’s company was looking for something special to add to one of its newest purchases: the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, an enormous office building that is home to many artists, designers, multimedia companies, and fashion houses such as Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger.
At first, the Centre for Social Innovation rebuffed RXR’s invitation to open a space in the building. But as the talks continued, the group’s leaders in Toronto became more and more excited about the possibility.
“It’s New York City,” says Eli Malinsky, executive director of the new outpost. “We could have been made the same offer for Denver or for Melbourne, and it just wouldn’t have been as compelling.”
Added Incentives
RXR paid $2-million in construction costs for the space, offered reduced rent for the first 18 months and provided a loan to pay for the furniture and fixtures. In return, the organization’s workshops and networking events are open to other tenants in the building.
The Centre for Social Innovation has been a great addition to the Starrett-Lehigh Building, says William Elder, managing director of RXR’s New York City division: “The power to bring all these people together, to give them a place to foster creativity, speak to each other, come up with new businesses: It’s pretty awesome when you think about it.”
