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With a goal to build a community for an under served population while attracting a high tech skilled population at the city’s southern gateway, Junction Hall came into fruition this past year.

Behind the scenes, the collaboration between Second Life Bikes’ owner Kerri Martin and Cowerks owners Bret Morgan, Danny Croak and Gregory Edgerton was sparked by Interfaith Neighbors’ Roger Boyce, Founder and Director of the nonprofit’s Business Development Center.

Boyce brought the two together after it became clear [two years ago] that Second Life Bikes needed a permanent home.

While the 21 Main Street building’s owners, Robert and April Kaprelian of Ocean Grove, gave Martin, who had been leasing the space since 2010, first option to buy, a crowdfunding campaign raised $45,000. But the 7,470 square-foot warehouse space was valued at $750,000.

Second Life tried but realized “there was no way we could afford this,” said Boyce, himself a serial entrepreneur.

At the same time, Cowerks, located on the third floor of the Lakehouse building on Lake Avenue, obtained a $240,000 New Jersey Economic Development Authority loan for its expansion.

Boyce, who works to create and carry out projects to sustain economic growth for Asbury Park businesses and residents, particularly on the city’s west side, said, “I thought not only could we have this very cool tech space but we’re also bringing a group of people together who never see each other. We would be uniting people of different backgrounds.”

The Cowerks team have launched a satellite hub in the loft space and have plans to add a small eatery and grab and go service via collaboration with the popular High Voltage Cafe, which opened on the boardwalk this past summer.

The Cowerks space features eight private offices averaging 140 square feet and a conference room. Five offices were leased by year’s end the remainder are expected to be leased out by February. Their first tenant to take up occupancy is Yellow Five Studios – a professional video production company owned by the three brothers behind Blackmore Productions.

The Cowerks/Second Life partnership formed 21 Main Street Holdings LLC to purchase the building, gaining financing from New Jersey Community Capital.

On its Board of Directors are Boyce, who serves as president and Interfaith Neighbors Associate Executive Director Paul McEvily, who serves as secretary.

For Cowerks, Junction Hall allows them to expand their popular workspace areas beyond the Lakehouse location downtown and continue creative projects and classes aimed at nurturing entrepreneurs, designers and programmers.

“This was the perfect opportunity for us to achieve our goals and for them to achieve their goals,” said Cowerks’ Bret Morgan.

For Martin, a bit of downsizing came into to play but the ground floor still boasts her low cost bikes [close to 700] and repair operation. She also conducts safety and cycling classes, bike trips, and an Earn a Bike program that allows kids ages 12 to 18 years to earn a bikes after 15 hours of work.

“We lost space but gained new energy and ideas,” she said. “It will add a new vibrancy here.”

Cowerks’ Danny Croak who serves as project manager said the partnership is especially rewarding in light of the downtown’s rising rents and taxes.

Finding a business site is becoming more scarce in part because so many of the city’s one time commercial buildings were transitioned into residential units as part of Asbury Park’s comeback, he said. We will “continue to create a bridge between our technology focus and Second Life Bikes. This can open doors for a lot of people and opens a lot of opportunity.”

The two organizations have long-term leases under their holding company that locks in a decade of facility costs and creates a real estate asset for each moving forward. That includes the possibility of developing into an eight story commercial space.

But according to the Junction Hall business plan the improvements “will not contribute to further gentrification in Asbury Park. Our development will attract new individuals; our values stress the inclusion of Asbury Park’s low-income residents.”

“It’s bringing the community together,” said Cowerks’ Gregory Edgerton. “The idea of Cowerks was providing office solutions but it was much more than just an office. It was about people and relationships you make and advice you get from coworkers.”

[featured photo courtesy of Interfaith Neighbors includes from left: Gregory Edgerton, Danny Croak, Bret Morgan, Roger Boyce, Kerri Martin, Paul McEvily]

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