The Centralia Chamber of Commerce held the ribbon cutting on Friday for Prescription Shared Space, a business center in downtown Centralia serving as an office and workspace for several individual and small local businesses. Shannon Cooney of Re:Purpose Development explained the benefits to each member in utilizing a shared space.
“They have access to all the amenities that the space has to offer,” Cooney said. “It’s a great way for small businesses to get started. It decreases the rent, we all share the internet expenses and utility expenses, etc.”
While members regularly use the space, Cooney also noted that the space is available to the public for rental use.
“The space is also available to the public,” Cooney said, “So if someone wanted to rent the space for a gala, a meeting, or a podcast, it’s available to non-members too, just at different rates than members.’
Representatives of member organizations attended the ribbon cutting and talked about the ways Prescription Shared Space has been useful to them, including Cheryl Young of Spero Family Services, Morgan Taylor and Megan Adamson from Hand and Soul, and Sheila Cisco, LPC Divorce mediator and author. Members described in turn how the building’s amenities and downtown location were useful to each of their operations. Taylor is also president of the nonprofit Centralia Sunshine Project, and she says that sharing a space downtown has helped her connect with other businesses and the community.
“It’s an idea I had in my head for a long time, several years,” Taylor said. “Having the opportunity to start and build my business here downtown and just being in the physical space of downtown, being able to see the streets, buildings, businesses and business owners, and speak to the people, really helped that idea come into fruition. Along with having the encouragement of other people who are entrepreneurs here downtown… We’re really excited about hopefully being able to bring some valuable energy into the community.”
Prescription Shared Space is located at 226 East Broadway, Centralia. More information can be found on their Facebook page or at rxsharedspace.com. 
Shannon Cooney with Centralia Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marcus Holland. Photos by Pat Hodges.
