Creative connection

Entrepreneur-turned-developer brings new creative space to downtown

In January 2013, NPR’s Morning Edition radio program spun a story about the Clockface Cafe, an alternative coffee shop in Moscow. This Russian café has figured out what the Starbucks of the world are missing: The real commodity in a modern coffee shop isn’t lattes or cranberry scones but the time spent at the table.

At the Clockface Cafe, coffee and food are free; instead, aspiring screenwriters and thesis-minded students pay based on the amount of time they stay in the café.

Flash forward to October 2014, and the Creative Bloc—downtown’s newest office space for creative professionals—is putting this business model to the test in Baton Rouge. It’s not just the small-scale film studios, green rooms and make-up department in the rear of the building that set the Creative Bloc apart. Artists and creators can apply for a membership to purchase work time in the space at 804 Main Street.

When local video production company Launch Media began outgrowing its office at the Celtic Media Centre in 2012, its president and executive producer, John Jackson, started scouting out a new headquarters. His Realtor introduced him to the Main Street space, a 11,500‑square‑foot structure that first rose in the 1930s and hadn’t held a tenant since the mid‑’90s.

Situated near the I‑110 overpass, this stretch of Main Street hasn’t seen much traffic outside of construction crews in recent years. “This part of downtown has been relatively quiet,” Jackson says. He and his team, though, see a chance to breathe life back into what was once the city’s main drag by drawing in the creative community with rentable offices within a shared space.

“We saw a lot of potential here,” Jackson says. “Main Street’s called Main Street for a reason; at one point this was the main street. We want to bring that back, and we were excited for an opportunity to move here.”

Most of the offices have already been leased—to a local photography studio, a New England-based web developer, New Orleans Video Access Center, Launch Media’s production crew and more—but space is still available for members’ use.

At $165 a month for eight hours or $225 for 12 hours, a member of the Creative Bloc can work among fellow creatives at his or her convenience. Members also get a discounted rate on creative services, access to fully AV-equipped conference rooms and, of course, free coffee and pastries. Inspired by that Russian coffee shop profiled on NPR, Jackson hopes this environment fosters connections between creators, from local to international, who need “a place to land.”

He says, “The idea is to put a bunch of creative people in the same spot and see what happens. In having a production company, we use all sorts of outside resources—writers, motion graphic designers, graphic artists—so for us it made sense to create this hub and to be a part of it.”

In mid-October, the final push of construction has Jackson kicking drywall dust from his shoes as he paces the space he’s made his second home. At a contractor’s call, he apologizes and ducks into an unfinished room that will one day be his own front office to deliberate over carpet patterns. As a young entrepreneur and first-time developer, Jackson has been on a steep learning curve since purchasing the building in December 2012.

His attention to detail shows in the design of the building, a vision that took months to outline and nearly two years to bring into reality. The space marries old and new with the historic building’s original brick peeking out from behind crisp, minimalistic white walls and a striking, contemporary entry arch crafted with salvaged wood. A bit of Baton Rouge character, a bit of modern ingenuity, Jackson says.

With an open floor plan, skylights, glass doors and plenty of common areas, Jackson says these bright and airy offices are designed for free-flowing creativity and collaboration.

Asked to sum up the meaning of his project, Jackson points to the spelling he chose for the word “Bloc” and its definition: a group of countries or people connected by a shared goal.

“The idea is to have that community, that group of people who can come together as one to support one another, as a bloc. To have that strength in numbers,” Jackson says. “We’re not here to overshadow anyone’s business, but behind the scenes, you’ve got that support. So in the end, we’re all a little bit better for being a part of it.”

With its doors now open, the Creative Bloc has set Jackson’s picture in motion.

Shared workspaces
Creative Bloc is the latest in Baton Rouge’s take on the trend of shared workspaces—facilities that cater to independent entrepreneurs and creatives who either typically work from home or are looking for a setting to work and collaborate with like-minded professionals. Others have included The Entrepreneur Headquarters (EHQ)—formerly in Perkins Rowe but now planning a move to the YMCA complex near Siegen Lane and Perkins Road—and Springboard in the Kress Building downtown.

Find out more about Creative Bloc at thecreativebloc.org.