Council approves Carbondale Main Street to run coworking space at multimodal station with city payments

The Carbondale City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with Carbondale Main Street to operate a coworking space at the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMS).

City staff told the council the city applied for a $95,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) rural business development grant to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment for a coworking space and committed $700 in matching funds. The grant was approved and the city entered a grant agreement in February 2024.

Steven Mitchell, the city's economic development director, said the planned layout includes enclosed offices, a kitchenette with a refrigerator, a shared conference room and an open common area. "This space is an office. This space is an office. This is a kitchenette that'll have a refrigerator and a sink," Mitchell said while explaining the floor plan and shared conference-room use.

Councilmember Jon Doherty said he had learned the contract includes a city payment to Carbondale Main Street of $60,000 per year, paid quarterly in $15,000 installments, and requested that the agreement include regular reporting to ensure the city’s investment is achieving its goals. "If we're making this type of investment ... we want to make sure it's actually being used and that we're getting our money's worth," Doherty said.

Mitchell and staff clarified that Carbondale Main Street will staff and manage the coworking space, that the nonprofit will not be housed there as a standard office, and that the space will be shared with other users. Council discussed outreach to ensure diverse participation and inclusion for minority-owned businesses. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote with all members present voting "yes."