HQ Raleigh plans downtown expansion

HQ Raleigh, a popular co-working company, is expanding into a new space and taking over the top five floors of the historic Capital Club building downtown.

“We’ve just responded to what’s happening in the community,” said Ilina Ewen, marketing director for HQ Raleigh. “There’s a need for more entrepreneurial space.”

The company plans to break ground in January on a 25,000-square-foot building at 319 S. Harrington St. HQ Raleigh’s primary space is located on the block, along with a 5,000-square-foot site across the street.

Crews are expected to begin renovations in the first quarter of 2017 on the eighth through 12th floors of the Capital Club building on West Martin Street, Ewen said. Most of the space will feature offices, conference rooms and co-working space. The top floor, a grand ballroom overlooking downtown Raleigh, will serve as an event space that can be used by HQ Raleigh members and the public.

HQ Raleigh has grown since it began in 2012, said Jason Widen, a founding partner of HQ Community, which is the largest entrepreneurial co-working community in North Carolina and includes sites in Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro.

Nearly 300 members and more than 130 companies work at HQ Raleigh, which has conference rooms, small “huddle” rooms and private areas with phones. There is a full-service kitchen, a bar and coffee equipment, and a ping-pong table.

Participants can pay as little as $125 a month for access to the facility, free beverages, a mail box, wireless internet and use of fax and copy machines. Businesses can buy a suite membership starting at $1,000 a month for around-the-clock access.

While HQ Raleigh can accommodate small teams and companies, there is a need for a bigger space to house larger groups, Widen said.

He said the Capital Club building, which has offices and a restaurant and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a good fit. It was built in 1930 and designed by architect Frank B. Simpson. Decades ago, it was home to the Capital Club, an exclusive gentlemen’s club.

“We have this unique opportunity to house ourselves in an iconic building,” Widen said. “The Capital Club building has a history involving business people impacting the local community.”

Widen said he intends to keep many of the building’s historic features, such as embellishments on the walls.

“The number one thing in our design process has started with the history of the building,” he said.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "HQ Raleigh plans downtown expansion."