Urban Place launches first Jerusalem co-working space

Urban Place is currently working on opening further spaces in Beersheba, Herzliya and Ra'anana, in addition to expanding its Tel Aviv operations and establishing its first foreign location in Paris.

By EYTAN HALON
Updated: FEBRUARY 4, 2019 01:24
Urban Place CEO Romain Levy (R) and vice-president marketing Stephanie Berdah (photo credit: URBAN PLACE)
Urban Place CEO Romain Levy (R) and vice-president marketing Stephanie Berdah
(photo credit: URBAN PLACE)
Israeli boutique co-working space provider Urban Place opened the doors to its first Jerusalem business hub on Sunday, located above the city’s bustling central bus station.
The 2,000 sq.m. office overlooking the entrance to Jerusalem is the fourth location opened by the company in four years, after launching two spaces at Tel Aviv’s Shalom Tower and one office on the city’s Rothschild Boulevard.
Urban Place is currently working on opening further spaces in Beersheba, Herzliya and Ra’anana, in addition to expanding its Tel Aviv operations and establishing its first foreign location in Paris.
Easily accessed by public transport, including the new Yitzhak Navon railway station, the new Jerusalem space offers 95 private offices, 40 open space spots and 300 single user stations, and offers memberships starting at NIS 550 per month. The membership price offers 24/7 entry into the Jerusalem work space, as well as access to the company’s Tel Aviv facilities.
Urban Place's new co-working space above Jerusalem's Central Bus Station (Credit: Urban Place)
Urban Place's new co-working space above Jerusalem's Central Bus Station (Credit: Urban Place)
In addition to work spaces, Urban Place’s Jerusalem office offers a large gym, game and relaxation room, beauty center offering massages and other treatments, a synagogue, meeting rooms, multiple open-space lounges and a 45-seat auditorium.
Members will also enjoy access to Urban Place’s exclusive collaboration with the Bloomberg International Network, a financial laboratory featuring an open space trading floor, private meeting rooms and access to financial data services provided by Bloomberg terminals.
“One of the key reasons we opened a work space in Jerusalem is due to the demand in the city,” said Urban Place CEO Romain Levy. “There is a lack of office space in the city, and co-working is relatively new here. I love Jerusalem’s mix of old and new. While many thought the purpose of the new train was for Jerusalem residents to travel to work in Tel Aviv, I can now see that it’s exactly the opposite.”
Levy, a French-born lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, emphasized that the most important factor in searching for an office is the well-known real estate mantra: “location, location, location.”
By opening offices in prime city locations, the company has attracted a mix of both start-ups and established companies. The secret, Levy says, is building a true co-working community.
“Talking about establishing a boutique co-working space and building a community is easy, but I wanted more than just a community in theory,” said Levy. “I wanted a real community, paying attention to the feelings of individuals. We put great effort into activities to build the community and working together, breaking down the barriers inside the co-working space. We’re trying to build a family.”
The company says its offices will constitute part of an ambitious plan launched in 2016 to transform the entrance to the city of Jerusalem into a leading international business district.
The Jerusalem Gateway project, the largest infrastructure initiative in the city’s history, will cost the city NIS 1.4 billion ($385 million) and include 24 buildings spread out over approximately 300 dunams (51 acres), including 14 skyscrapers of at least 24 floors each and nine buildings with 36 floors. The Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyenei Ha’uma) will be renovated and expanded.
Urban Place's new co-working space above Jerusalem's Central Bus Station (Credit: Urban Place)
Urban Place's new co-working space above Jerusalem's Central Bus Station (Credit: Urban Place)
The new site aims to create 60,000 new jobs, and 65,000 people will pass through the entrance daily. The project will establish Israel’s largest integrated transportation hub to date, including the new high-speed train, two light rail lines, and public and private transit lanes.