DUMBO Startup Lab Has Closed

DUMBO, BROOKLYN — DUMBO Startup Lab has closed its coworking space, as first reported by Technical.ly.

On Thursday, founder John Coghlan was alone inside the 68 Jay St. property, along with the business's remaining furniture.

The Lab opened its doors in 2012 and worked with about 150 businesses in total, he said.

The decision to close was made in March, according to Coghlin. Two months earlier, the Lab had been selected as Coworking Space of the Year by Technical.ly's readership — an award the founder said he was proud of.

Coghlan said the Lab always featured an open floor plan. "Our bigger mission was to foster deep connections" between entrepreneurs, he said — something that often begins with "small talk."

But the coworking industry is changing, according to Coghlin.

Many clients now expect a "private office with shared amenities," he said. "We didn't think that was core to what we were doing."

Coghlan added: "Economically, and just the spirit of the space, it didn't make sense" to remodel.

(Although he still stands behind the open-floor-plan model, Coghlan told Technical.ly that he holds no grudges against competitors doing things differently.)

Before starting the Lab, Coghlin worked at the United Way. He said he wants his next venture to be socially minded — but he's still figuring out what form it will take. In the meantime, he's got some boxes to pack at 68 Jay.

Photos by John V. Santore