By Dijana Vajushi

As many Norfolkians are aware, 2 Station Place in downtown has been vacant since September 2014. This spring will see the eagerly awaited reincarnation of the building as the Hub, the Norfolk Foundation’s coworking and meeting space.

Dawn Whalen, executive director of the Norfolk Foundation, explains the purposes of the Hub: “Firstly, it is to serve as a place where the nonprofits in town can come and work together to help advance the projects that they are working on so everyone is collaborating on what’s going on in town. The second purpose is to serve as a visitor center informing people of any prospective events in town, places to go, where to eat, etc.”

Frame for one of two skylights under construction at the Kingsland Company. Photo by Dawn Whalen.

Once it’s up and running, everyone in town will be welcome to stop in. People can grab a cup of coffee or some lunch at one of the cafés and then come over and enjoy their meal in the lounge area, where they can also read newspapers or just check out what’s going on. The environment is intended to be warm and inviting.

Initial Hub members include the Rails to Trails Committee, the Norfolk Community Association, Norfolk Now and the Norfolk Land Trust. Joel Howard, chair of the Community Association, says, “We are very appreciative and excited for this opportunity to be part of a larger, civic-focused group where our members can meet, work and strategize alongside Norfolk’s many other nonprofit volunteers. This is the launch of a more vibrant local community through the power of collaboration.”

The Hub is expected to be up and running by the end of April. On Monday evenings, the building will be available to local groups to present programs that are of interest to the town. For example, Felicia Jones, who is the project coordinator for Northwest Connect, will be coming to discuss the effort to bring a fiber-optic network to our area.

Ryan Craig, owner of Berkshire Country Store, is pleased that the Hub is almost ready. “When you have a business opening directly next door like the Hub where you have meetings happening and people coming together, it can be advantageous not just to the foundation but also for us, as it is a symbiotic relationship and what we are looking for in the downtown of Norfolk.”

Another tenant and next-door neighbor, Vickie Thomson of the Norfolk Hair Station, thinks that “the Hub is a very fitting name. People will come, they will learn, they will feel better, and that will spread. There is so much to learn about Norfolk.”

Kathy Williams of the Artisans Guild agrees. “I’m really looking forward to the opening of the Hub. It’s been exciting watching the transformation of the building. The new space will help integrate Station Place into the whole of downtown, increasing foot traffic and adding another exciting community destination.”

Photo, top, by Bruce Frisch: With the drywall up, work on the interior of the Hub is entering its final stages.