Downtown co-working space to close

The Creative Foundry owner Jim Michels plans to close his downtown co-working space next month due to declining demand.

Michels, who launched the business at 325 W. McDaniel St. in 2011 and relocated it to 221 South Ave. in 2013, said the company would close by the end of November.

The business owner said membership dropped from 25 over a six-week period to its current level of 12.

“I could speculate a lot, but I don’t really know,” Michels said of the drop.

When the shared office moved to South Avenue, members included programmers, Web developers, a McGraw-Hill salesperson and a Wikipedia executive, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Michels said the space, which had capacity for nearly 40, hit its peak at 25.

Michels operates his primary business, software firm Streamix LLC, out of the co-working space. He said he would seek a new home for the 14-year-old company, which primarily does its business outside of Missouri.

Arkifex Studios co-owner Blaine Whisenhunt said the architecture firm signed a lease with building owner Craig Wagoner for the space. The company, which currently operates at 334 E. Walnut St., plans to move in Dec. 1.