Estes Park coworking space opens, with twists

ESTES PARK — Vert CoWorking opened the first coworking facility here, including several elements less-common to conventional office space but much at home for Northern Colorado and its burgeoning startup community.

Vert is a tradename for AdEstes Group Inc., owned by Alix and David LaSalle. The LaSalles are retired military personnel who married and moved here as Alix earned a law degree and David an MBA.

They bought Rocky Mountain Health Club, a two-story, 15,000-square-foot facility. It now sports a rock-climbing gym — leased to outdoor enthusiast guides Estes Park Rock Climbing, David said — as well as training rooms, a yoga and barre studio, chiropractor and massage therapists.

LaSalle said when Estes Park opened its $26 million community center, replicating some of the offerings and exceeding it in other areas, he and Alix turned to the coworking idea. People had begun renting space for several months at a time, and this seemed to suggest a demand, he said.

People passing through the gateway to the national park also come in, David LaSalle said. The building is divided roughly by floors between the two operations: gym downstairs, offices upstairs. Another amenity includes three fireplaces, a throwback to the restaurant which used to be on the site.

Estes has been boosting its business-development efforts of late. Its Chamber of Commerce was founded in May 2019. In September, Estes Park Economic Development Corp. named Northern Colorado startups booster Jana Sanchez head of its business accelerator program.

The accelerator has “taken the ‘team suite’ space,” David said, with room for several users. “Accelerator participants can use individual desks, and we’ll give them a deal while they’re in the program,” he added.

A ribbon-cutting and open house on the coworking space is planned for Friday, Oct. 22.

© BizWest Media LLC

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