Working Wonder
The Station Opens as Lebanons First Co-working Space
Write / Rebecca Wood
Photographer / Jon Ellegood
The beloved sitcom The Office attracted audiences with its quirky characters and whimsical storylines. Viewers related to the episodes as many spent their workdays in traditional office settings. Today workspaces are being reimagined, with co-working spaces emerging as viable alternatives to classic employment scenarios. Initially co-working spaces sprouted up in major metropolitan areas, but now suburban and rural settings are offering similar locales.
Lebanon is the latest community to offer co-working space. The Station, a 3,600-square-foot venue in Lebanons Daniels Plaza, opened in May. Owner Sarah Burns brought the business into fruition. She took ownership of the space in October of 2021 and spent months transforming this former restaurant into an industrial-style workspace. She laboriously cleared out the remnants of the previous eatery, and added corrugated metal touches and trendy wallpaper to create a welcoming environment.
Since COVID a lot of people are working remotely, Burns says. Many find it difficult to work from home. This is not home, but not a corporate office either.
The Station provides meeting rooms, communal work zones, an audio/visual production room and more. Amenities include a water and coffee station, lockers and mail service. Burns plans on offering a commissary kitchen, a rentable commercial kitchen used predominately by food trucks and mobile vendors, to interested culinary patrons.
Burns intends to host member appreciation and networking events at The Station. She hopes to use adjoining outdoor space to accommodate such occasions. As a former event coordinator for the Whitestown Parks and Recreation Department, Burns has related experience and enjoys coordinating events.
I want this space to develop a sense of community, for it to be a place to meet new people, Burns says.
Burns was motivated to open The Station from her own positive experiences at co-working spaces. During previous employment she conducted business from Launch Fishers and The Speak Easy in Broad Ripple. She liked the concept of networking and meeting people in a nontraditional office setting. Burns modeled The Station on the experiences she found at these other regional co-working spaces.
Burns, a Boone County resident, strategically selected Lebanon as the home for The Station.
Lebanon is a growing community, Burns says. I believe we will continue to see a boom and growth in Lebanon, and a real need for this space.
The Station gained its name from Lebanons connection to the Big Four Trail, a historic railway system that wound its way through Boone County and currently is used as a recreational pathway. Burns says trains used the Big Four Trail to connect people, create community and boost industry. She hopes her business will have the same impact.
Burns sees The Station as evolving with the needs of its members. The culture of the space will be determined by its members, she says.
Her hope is that The Station will be a bustling establishment where businesses thrive and grow, and a community is formed.
The Station is located at 2360 North Lebanon Street in Lebanon. Information on membership pricing and daily fees can found at stationedinboone.com. Meeting rooms and space can also be reserved.
