Mountain BizWorks, the local nonprofit known for helping small businesses and entrepreneurs, has a contract to buy new office space and is working to raise about $1 million to pay for it.
The nonprofit’s new home is in the Lexington Station development on South Lexington Avenue. The office is handicapped accessible and about a third larger than its current space on the second floor of the building at 29 Page Ave., said Greg Walker-Wilson, CEO of Mountain BizWorks. The organization has rented space from the building owner, Public Interest Projects, for the past 15 years at a below-market rate.
“We are grateful to Public Interest Projects. However, we have definitely outgrown our present space. We now have 13 regular staff and 12 contracted business developers working out of the Asheville office,” Walker-Wilson said.
Work has begun on the new office space and Mountain BizWorks hopes to move in by June 1.
“We’re fortunate in that the developer of Lexington Station, Steve Moberg, is donating $260,000 at closing, so that really makes this possible,” Walker-Wilson said. Mountain BizWorks has organized a capital campaign and has already asked Asheville City Council for a $100,000 contribution. Walker-Wilson said Mountain BizWorks will be asking Buncombe County commissioners, the Janirve Foundation and other funding sources to support the project.
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