Miami workers wanted a bigger space. They got it — and a ‘vibe check’ at door
When Liberty City native Joy St. Clair opened Co-Space in 2023, she wanted to create a place where people could work in a relaxed environment. Code-switching and corporate clichés weren’t part of the plans.
Then the Miami Gardens co-working space became so popular with customers, they often asked when she would open a larger space.
“Every day we were at capacity,” said St. Clair, 39. “There were certain events that people would want to book, but they couldn’t. The community was pushing me to let me know that I had outgrown the space, so I had to listen.”
And she did.
Co-Space’s new Miami Gardens location at 17161 NW 27th Ave. is almost three times as big as the original space. The new space is 1,536 square feet, and nearly 1,800 members pay $1,500 for an annual Co-Space membership to work there.
A large, brightly lit room leads into a conference room, a podcast studio, and a room for people to take calls. There are snacks available and a community kitchen for people to store their own food.
There’s only one catch: You must pass a “vibe check” when you walk into Co-Space.
St. Clair is a stickler for positive energy and wants customers to be in a good space so that they can more easily network with one another. That free-flowing dynamic is a part of Co-Space’s appeal. Customers are not limited to listening to their favorite R&B music on their headphones and are encouraged to connect with other people working in the space.
“When you walk in here, you can feel the energy and everything is communal,” she said. “You can go in the refrigerator right now, and if something is not labeled, you can take it.”
In addition to a fun place to work, Co-Space has emerged as a busy event venue. During one weekend in May, St. Clair said that she hosted five events, including pilates sessions and a sewing party.
Whether people learn of Co-Space by word of mouth or from a social media post, St. Clair wants them to experience the place for themselves.
Miramar harp player and entrepreneur Crystal Sawyer discovered Co-Space while scrolling on Instagram. Sawyer, 49, is a former Miami-Dade Public Schools music teacher. She plays the harp at events and also teaches music. Spending time at Co-Space has enhanced her entrepreneurial journey, she said.
“At one point I was trying to come here every day because every time I showed up, I got a client,” Sawyer said.
St. Clair has been pleasantly surprised by Miami visitors who stop by to work at Co-Space. The space is about 10 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium, allowing for guests to visit if they’re in town to work at or see a sporting event.
In May, six of Formula 1’s content creators were at Co-Space from Wednesday to Sunday of that week. The creators worked in a conference room some of the time and also in the main room alongside members.
“There was one day where literally all the spaces were activated at one time and people were still here co-working while all this was happening,” she said. “That would’ve never happened in the old space.”
Goulds native LaToya Byrd works from Co-Space in two different ways. She is a business expansion specialist for the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, and a visual artist. Co-Space has become known for the visual art that adorns its walls, and Byrd created a blue-and-white painting at the center.
“Being at Co-Space affects my workflow because it makes it even more so easy to support the community because we meet the community here,” she said.
Scaling a business can be intimidating, but St. Clair believes that business owners should use data to decide whether or not to make their business bigger.
“If I looked at the numbers of what I could afford, I would not have gotten this space,” she said. “But when I did the opportunity cost, now I can have more events and can charge a little bit more for this.”
St. Clair’s next goal is to attract sponsors that can pay for people to work from Co-Space. She wants co-working to be free for people who want to work there.
About twice a quarter, St. Clair hosts sponsored co-working days where companies or organizations buy several day passes for people to work from Co-Space for free.
“There’s so many people that I know want to be here, but they have different barriers,” she said. “When they come here, they stay all day.”
As Sawyer worked at her laptop, she talked about how being at Co-Space has helped her grow as a businesswoman.
“Magical situations have come out of sitting right here in these chairs.”
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