I cannot recommend Expansive Mesa at Newberry based on our experience.
We rent space here on a month-to-month basis and specifically shared before signing our agreement that we hold Indigenous community programming on Saturdays. We chose this coworking space because we believed it would provide consistent access for our gatherings.
On the day of one of our scheduled meetings, we were unexpectedly told that we had to move to a different location within the building because another event was taking place. There was no advance notice, no opportunity to plan around the change, and no apology for the disruption. Being told, on the day of our gathering, that we could not use the space we regularly use left our community feeling like we were being pushed aside.
As an Indigenous-led nonprofit, that experience carried additional weight. Being told that we could not be in a space we pay to access, while another group was given priority, felt exclusionary and dismissive of our community. Whether or not that was the intent, it is how the situation was experienced, and I hoped management would at least acknowledge the impact and apologize. That never happened.
Communication has also been disappointing. Before becoming members, I explained that we would eventually like to rent the larger meeting room for our programming. At the time, that seemed possible. After we joined, our inquiries have often gone unanswered, and we were ultimately told we could not rent the room. It left me feeling that securing our membership was prioritized over working with us once we became paying clients.
There have also been ongoing operational issues. The coffee machine is frequently unavailable on Saturdays despite this being marketed as a fully equipped 24/7 coworking space, and the printer, which requires an additional fee, has not always been reliable.
Coworking spaces succeed because of community, communication, and consistency. Unfortunately, our experience has been the opposite. I hope Expansive takes feedback like this seriously and works to improve communication, honors the commitments made to members, and ensures that all communities feel equally respected and welcomed.
