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New York-based flexible co-warehousing company Portal Warehousing has launched a new product line and opened its first location in Los Angeles dubbed Portal FlexSpace.
Located at 334 S. Main St. on the ground floor of 4th and Main, a seven-story, 94-unit apartment complex adjacent to downtown’s Toy District, Portal FlexSpace consists of 100 customizable units targeted to attract e-commerce merchants, entrepreneurs, artists, creatives and small businesses.
“We’re super excited to finally have a facility in Los Angeles,” said Alex Morrison, chief executive and cofounder of Portal Warehousing. “Los Angeles is the biggest city in the country from an e-commerce perspective by the sheer number of companies that sell online, so it’s great to finally have somewhere that we can help service that customer in our backyard.”
Originally designed to accommodate commercial retail storefronts, each space is enclosed, allowing tenants to operate privately and independently, whether that be a podcast studio, a ceramic cafe or a production-supply facility.
“We’re creating a sense of community, which is really hard to find in the world of industrial space,” Morrison said. “A small-business owner can be next to an e-commerce merchant which can be next to a larger e-commerce business which can be next to a public company. The conversations and community that come out of those organic relationships is really cool.”
Units range from 200 to 1,000 square feet in size and start at $1,000 a month, with the option for tenants to lease for terms of three, six or 12 months at a time. The space spans 25,000 square feet total.
Amenities include high-speed internet, reception services, community events and growth support, as well as shared common spaces, including a coworking area, a conference room, a photography booth and a coffee shop.
“It’s just a creative space where we can really accept a lot of uses,” Morrison said. “And it really caters well to the downtown Los Angeles community, which is very creative and entrepreneurial in fashion and the arts.”
Bigger brand
Portal Warehousing, which targets larger and more traditional co-warehousing and logistics space, was initially inspired to accommodate the acceleration of e-commerce brands spurred by Covid-19.
The company has existing locations in Phoenix and Salt Lake City – both of which are fully leased – plus another which recently opened in Brooklyn, New York.
“The company has evolved into helping any company that needs a home for product and people,” Morrison said. “It serves a lot more than just e-commerce.”
Portal Warehousing, similar to other coworking companies, signs long-term management agreements with landlords in which it assumes work on behalf of ownership to operate and manage the property.
And although still relatively young, the company has big expansion plans, including to open 20 new locations by the end of the year.
“We see more demand than we have space,” Morrison said. “And we see that in most markets. We definitely see the opportunity to grow. Any major market that you can think of, we have our eyes on. It’s just a matter of finding creative deals. We’re looking at a lot of opportunities right now. We’re super excited.”
Originally published in Los Angeles Business Journal
