CoWorkTampa preps for expansion at cigar factory

Coworking facility CoWorkTampa is about to expand its 10,000-square-foot converted space at a cigar factory in Tampa.

Founder Chris Arnoldi plans to renovate a 4,500-square-foot area on the second floor beginning in May, with a goal to complete construction in two months.
Arnoldi opened CoWorkTampa in 2012 to help foot office costs for his Internet marketing company Uhsome, which is based in the same location.
He invested roughly $100,000 in the space.

“We want to build a sense of San Francisco in Tampa,” Arnoldi said. “Companies are being built, growing and hiring more people.”
In August, Tampa HackerSpace opened on the ground floor, offering 3-D printers, laser cutters and sewing machines. HackerSpace holds classes for children and adults and other events.