After closing in 2021, the Kickstarter building will get new life as it turns into a state-of-the-art campus for creators, according to Fast Company.
Whalar, a creator and talent management company, purchased the space at 58 Kent Street, alongside spaces in Los Angeles and London, to allow creative types a physical space in order to, well, create. But not so much creation in the Michelangelo sense of the word. More like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
“All campuses will be outfitted with lecture halls meant for classes covering a range of topics such as maximizing an e-commerce strategy, using AI, and navigating taxes and legal as a creator; private offices; audio and video production spaces to create and edit content; dining areas; outdoor spaces; and more.”
Fast Company
Whalar has dubbed these campuses The Lighthouse and plans to open them in spring or summer 2024. Considering the art of “creation” is often a solitary pursuit (or one that appeals to those embracing the digital nomad lifestyle), whether a specific, in-person business model such as the Lighthouse can sustain itself in the long run remains to be seen. Because even accessing all The Lighthouse offers won’t come cheap — members will apparently shell out around $5,750 per year for a four-year commitment.
If you’re feeling some deja vu, there’s a reason. When Kickstarter first opened its Greenpoint office space in 2014, it provided a plethora of amenities such as a rooftop, library, gallery, and theater. Ultimately, those amenities failed to stop the tides of change as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 shifted many employees towards a new appreciation for working from home. Kickstarter went fully remote in 2021.
But local real estate developers are certainly banking on people to return to the office. The long-vacant Domino Sugar Factory recently underwent a massive renovation, transforming into a 15-story, 460,000-square-foot office space.