This document proposes establishing a coffee shop and co-working facility in Franklin, WI to address challenges facing the community and capitalize on opportunities. Key challenges include a lack of community gathering spaces and amenities desirable to young knowledge workers. The plan outlines using city-owned land near the library and park to create such a space. It would leverage nearby assets like the library, park and senior housing. Establishing this type of facility could attract talent and investment while serving multi-generational needs by providing a walkable third place for residents and professionals to work and socialize.

1. Franklin
Coffee Shop/
Co‐Working Facility
Prepared for: Franklin, WI Economic Development Commission
Prepared by: John Michlig, Commissioner
May 13, 2009

2. Table of Contents
Summary 1
background
our challenges
our opportuniKes
Plan Outline 5
goal
possible educaKonal components
advantages: short term
advantages: long term
Co‐Working Facility 8
definiKons: what is a co‐working facility?
IncenKves & ConfiguraKons: PossibiliKes 10
opKons
“GeneraKon Y” 11
staKsKcs, facts and expectaKons
ready for 2012?
Freelance/”Free Agent”/CreaKve Class 14
staKsKcs, facts and expectaKons
Contacts/Outreach 16
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility

3. Summary
background
Former Sea[le mayor Paul Schell said, success lies in "crea<ng a place where
the crea<ve experience can flourish." Beyond subsidizing companies, stadiums,
and retail centers, communiKes need to be open to diversity and invest in the
kinds of lifestyle opKons and ameniKes people of all ages really want.
One of the biggest challenges facing suburban communiKes today is the task of
reconciling the desire to create vital public space ‐‐ which in turn encourages
commercial investment and development ‐‐ with the sprawled, disconnected
and near‐arbitrary nature of typical suburban growth pa[erns. Franklin is not
alone in having to deal with “pu_ng the pieces together”; communiKes across
the country are taking steps to re‐assess and rehabilitate their situaKon.
In order for Franklin to grow and evolve in a sustainable manner, the city must
recognize the economic realiKes of posKndustrial America. The primary resource
that desirable businesses search for when looking for a community within which
to take root is a well‐educated, digitally‐enabled, crea<ve, and mo<vated
workforce.
That digitally‐enabled workforce, in turn, is less dependent upon geography,
making the quali<es of individual places maFer much more in loca<onal
decisions.
Opinion polls and markeKng studies in recent years make it clear that members
of the emergent “Genera<on Y” (children of Boomers born between 1979 and
1996) have expecta<ons that should give us pause:
• 77% plan to live in an urban core
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 1

4. • 70% do not think they will move to the suburbs when they have kids, sta<ng
a preference for the convenience and connec<vity of healthy, walkable,
mixed‐use communi<es.1
This enormous market will begin buying homes ‐‐ i.e making their living choices
‐‐ in just over two years.
And let’s not forget about older Americans. Already, more than half of
nondrivers over 65 simply stay home because their transportaKon choices are
limited. 71% of older households would prefer to live within walking distance of
transit. 2
There is every indicaKon that we need to make adjustments to prepare our
community for the needs of young and old.
our challenges
It’s no secret that suburban development is most oeen directed by private
developer opportuniKes rather than actual uKlity to the city and/or consistency
with a master plan. This leads to a lack of true “community gathering points”
that would encourage mulK‐purpose, mulK‐generaKonal community interacKon.
• Franklin has never had any sort of “downtown” or central gathering point; in
fact, city leaders have long disagreed on where the “city center” is located.
• Franklin is extremely vehicle‐dependent and lacks the sort of walkable public
ameni<es for which residents have asked.
1 2008 material: “GeneraKon Y in the Marketplace”:www.rclco.com/generalpdf/
general_Aug2720081149_ULI‐_08‐27‐08.pdf; pre‐2000 data: Ellen Newborne and Kathleen Ker‐
win, “GeneraKon Y,” Business Week, Feb. 15, 1999.
2 Linda Bailet, “Aging Americans Stranded without OpKons,” Surface Transporta7on Policy Project
(April 2004)
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 2

5. • The <ght city budget, coupled with the percep<on of high property taxes,
makes crea<on of community‐building ameni<es low on the city’s priority
list.
• It’s crucial that the city aFract and retain core talent that will in turn aFract
non‐pollu<ng industries and posi<ve commercial development; however,
the city currently lacks facili<es, features and tools desirable to young
“knowledge workers” and other elements of the economically significant
“Crea<ve Class,” who can and will choose where they want to live based
upon these ameni<es.
• Greenfield’s Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores o_en become the de
facto “third place” for Franklin residents seeking a place to work and linger
(and spend) outside of their home.
• The city’s senior popula<on is ill‐served as commercial and social ameni<es
can be reached only by vehicle.
• Franklin needs to dis<nguish itself in the very near future from neighboring
suburbs in order to aFract further investment and seFlement by the next
genera<on of homebuyers and consumers.
• The Franklin Public Library gets its funding through circula<on, and there is
currently no nearby commercial aFrac<on to drive foot traffic to the library.
• MATC has a dis<nct image problem in Franklin as we feel no interac<on with
the school while at the same <me paying taxes to support the ins<tu<on.
our opportuni<es
The city has purchased property on Drexel Avenue that sits between Fire StaKon
1 and the Public Library (henceforth referred to as the “Park Parcel”). It’s
situated in a unique mulK‐purpose area, with a public park creaKng a buffer
between the space in quesKon and nearby residenKal areas.
• The Franklin Public Library is a truly well‐used and well‐appreciated public
space.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 3

6. • A public park (Lions Legend Park) is next to the Library and south of the Park
Parcel.
• A single‐family subdivision with connec<ve paths is just beyond the park,
crea<ng an easily traversed, natural transect.
• Condos stand on the other park border, providing access for mul<ple
socioeconomic types.
• City Hall, where senior meals are served, is in the same area.
• Senior apartments are beyond the apartments and, though somewhat far
from the Park Parcel, are connected by sidewalks and paths to the library
and park.
• The Park Parcel is segregated from the balance of Lions Legend Park by a tree
line and the water tower; therefor, using it for a purpose that is not strictly
playground‐related will not break con<nuity of the parkland.
• The new Franklin OfficeMax reports beFer than expected business; Franklin
and surrounding communi<es are already homes to a great many home‐
office professionals who would gravitate to a coffee shop/co‐working space.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 4

7. Plan Outline
goal
Facilitate creaKon of a COFFEE HOUSE and CO‐WORKING FACILITY located in the
area of Lions Legend Park and the Public Library, enhancing the commercial and
community‐level a[racKveness of the area while at the same Kme encouraging
likewise development elsewhere in the city.
• The city of Franklin would rezone the parcel from parkland to commercial.
• The building would be two stories minimum, built right up to the sidewalk
(no setback) on at least one side.
• No drive‐thru.
• Courtyard in back that segues into the park.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 5

8. possible educa<onal components
• The city partners with Milwaukee Area Technical College; the students, as
part of MATC curriculum, run the coffee shop, handling everything from
accoun<ng to marke<ng to grinding beans.
• Franklin High School can also be involved, as students can work there for
credit.
• If and when we begin concrete plans for the site and building, the above
ins<tu<ons along with UW‐Milwaukee can submit plans and ideas, following
the progress of the project step‐by‐step.
• The city can contract with a placement agency (Independence First, for
instance) for differently‐abled persons so they can work side‐by‐side ‐‐ and
on equal foo<ng ‐‐ with high school and college students. The benefits to all
sides of this interac<on are clear.
advantages: short term
• The project acts as a "development laboratory," wherein the city can show
by example what sort of development is desirable. Along the way, we'll
undoubtedly expose flaws in the developer‐city process and rela<onship
that can be addressed as they appear.
• Developers who have been hesitant to propose complicated (but desirable)
“high‐end” projects to the city because of perceived difficul<es in dealing
with the planning process will be encouraged by our overt effort to
streamline the en<re “development pipeline.”
• The project will bring together the talents and passions of the community:
local cra_smen and contractors pitching in; crea<ve minds devising site
plans and architecture; business leaders dona<ng assets and money; etc.
• In tough economic <mes, planning and possibly building a community/
commercial asset like this acts as a potent symbol of our confidence in
Franklin.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 6

9. • The effort will generate posi<ve ongoing publicity for the City of Franklin’s
forward‐looking ac<on.
advantages: long term
• At long last, a vibrant, mul<‐use city center with excellent community space
will emerge. Franklin will finally have a "third place" for people to lounge,
work, surf the net, read and meet. (No more losing residents [and dollars] to
Borders and Barnes & Noble in Greenfield.)
• We will excite local imagina<on about the real possibility for further change,
hopefully encouraging further desirable and “nonstandard” development
and partnerships in the area.
• The facility will be an educa<onal asset to MATC and Franklin High School.
• Open space next to the cafe/workspace can be used for, among other
events, monthly or bi‐monthly Farmers' Markets coordinated with market
events held in St. Mar<ns.
• The co‐working facili<es ‐‐ both paid‐by‐the‐week/month/year space and
free work areas ‐‐ will be popular with a growing corps of "free agents,"
newly freelance, and mobile workers, who will spread word of the asset.
• An informal mee<ng place close to city hall will become available.
• The free Wi‐Fi here combined with the Wi‐Fi “clouds” at city hall and the
library will make Lion’s Legend Park a promotable Free Wi‐Fi zone, and
Franklin takes a step toward marke<ng itself as a tech‐friendly city.
• The library will see increased traffic and circula<on.
• If we combine par<cipa<on of Franklin High School, MATC and a job
placement agency for differently‐abled individuals, we’ll create an excellent
opportunity for crea<ng posi<ve interac<ons.
• It'll be a new stop for residents of Waterford and Burlington on their way to
and from the freeway.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 7

10. Co‐Working Facility
defini<ons: what is
a co‐working
facility?
A Co‐Working facility is
a cafe‐like community/
collaboraKon space for
persons who work
outside of tradiKonal
office environments. It
provides individual work spaces as well as meeKng areas and rooms; wi‐fi is
generally provided as well.
Because there’s an enKre thriving industry feeding laptops, netbooks, messenger
bags, portable filing systems, etc. to a growing market of office‐less workers,
there’s no need to provide much more than a comfortable space.
The communal Co‐Working space is fairly well integrated into the coffee shop/
cafe porKon of the building, making very li[le disKncKon between cafe tables
and work spaces on one floor, with, for example, more private areas on a second
floor.
There are many, many pricing models for Co‐Working spaces. Of course, the
“communal” open areas should be free; perhaps a cafe purchase is required for
wi‐fi access. There may even be a free communal room for meeKngs available by
sign‐up.
A “paid Ker” of office spaces is also possible, featuring private small office
spaces with a lockable door and access to Xerox, fax and printer faciliKes. They
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 8

11. can be paid for in flexible increments: weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly ‐‐ even
daily.
A Co‐Working facility is not as quiet as a library. It’s designed and laid out to
encourage useful interacKon among those who desire it and a producKve
“privacy shell” for others who need to focus. proper layout and design is crucial,
and we’ll need to pay very close a[enKon to this aspect of the facility.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 9

12. Incentives &
Configurations:
Possibilities
op<ons
In these challenging economic Kmes, the City of Franklin will need to be flexible
in construcKng incenKves for a franchise, developer, partner, or any combinaKon
of same. These are just a few suggesKons; nothing is off the table.
• Given the educa<onal component, corporate sponsorship and grants are not
at all out of the ques<on: OfficeMax, FedEx/Kinkos, Starbucks, Dunn Bros.,
Starbucks, Northwestern Mutual Founda<on, etc. A community/
educa<onal/economic development effort like this is something great to be
associated with.
• The city could create a comprehensive building design and site plan that can
be used to sell the “non‐standard configura<on” to a mainstream
commercial developer who otherwise would not have had the opportunity
to exploit a great loca<on.
• An incubator arrangement could be set up: low or no rent; etc.
• Make it a non‐profit en<ty basically run by MATC.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 10

13. “Generation Y”
sta<s<cs, facts and expecta<ons
• Driven by convenience, connec<vity, and a healthy work‐life balance to
maintain rela<onships
• 1/3 will pay more to walk to shops, work, and entertainment
• 2/3 say that living in a walkable community is important
• More than 1/2 of Gen Y would trade lot size for proximity to shopping or to
work
• Even among families with children, 1/3 or more are willing to trade lot size
and “ideal” homes for walkable, diverse communi<es
• Even in the suburbs the majority of Gen Y prefer characteris<cs of urban
places, par<cularly walkable environments
• Over half report that having a community and home designed to meet
certain "green" objec<ves plays an important role in their purchase or
ren<ng decision.
• Work‐life balance or work‐life blend is important to Gen Y; Their work will
blend with other parts of their lives—they’ll work from home, enroll their
kids in their company’s in‐house day care, and enjoy portable careers
Given their penchant for community involvement as well as their requirement of
work/life balance, feedback from Gen Y on the types of ameniKes they desire in
their communiKes may not come as a surprise. The most sought‐aeer ameniKes
include:
• Library;
• Restaurant or café;
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 11

14. • Main street village;
• Recycling center; and
• Fitness center.
Source: Robert Charles Lessor & Co. Real Estate Advisors: Genera7on Y in the Market‐
place, URBAN LAND INSTITUTE – YOUNG LEADERS PANEL ‐ AUGUST 2008
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 12

15. ready for 2012?
Genera<on Y will soon emerge as dominant economic group.
Source: Robert Charles Lessor & Co. Real Estate Advisors: Genera7on Y in the Market‐
place, URBAN LAND INSTITUTE – YOUNG LEADERS PANEL ‐ AUGUST 2008
GRADUATES WILL START ENTERING THE RENTAL MARKET
IN 2009; THE LARGE WAVE OF BUYING WILL BEGIN IN 2012
WAVE OF GEN Y
4,200,000
4,100,000
4,000,000
3,900,000
3,800,000
This group will
3,700,000
begin purchasing
3,600,000 in 2012
3,500,000
3,400,000
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Number of 22-Year Olds
RCLCO consumer research shows:
! 41% of Generation Y plan to rent for at least three years
! 77% of Generation Y plan to live in an urban core
NOTE: Number of 22-year olds is based upon birth rate and does not factor in death rates and migration.
SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
6
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 13

16. Freelance/”Free
Agent”/Creative Class
sta<s<cs, facts and
expecta<ons
Not limited by age, freelance
professionals now make up more
than a quarter of the U.S. working
populaKon, or 26%, according to a
survey by human resources
consulKng firm Kelly Services, Inc,
up from 19% in 20063.
• “The Crea<ve Class”:
Socioeconomic class (arguably
cons<tu<ng a dis<nct social
class) that economist and social
scien<st Dr. Richard Florida,4 a
professor and head of the Mar<n Prosperity Ins<tute at the Rotman School
of Management at the University of Toronto, believes are a key driving force
for economic development of post‐industrial ci<es in the USA.
3 SOURCE: CNNMoney.com
h[p://money.cnn.com/2009/05/04/news/economy/freelance_workers/index.htm?postversion=2
009050403
4 Books by Richard Florida: The Rise of the Crea7ve Class (2002), Ci7es and the Crea7ve Class
(2004), and The Flight of the Crea7ve Class (2007)
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 14

17. Florida describes the 'CreaKve Class' as 40 million workers ‐ 30 percent of the
U.S. workforce, and breaks the class into two broad secKons, derived from
Standard OccupaKon ClassificaKon (SOC) codes data sets:
• Super‐Crea<ve Core: This comprises about twelve percent of all U.S.
jobs. This group is deemed to contain a wide range of occupa<ons (e.g.
science, engineering, educa<on, computer programming, research) with
arts, design, and media workers making a small subset. Those belonging
to this group are considered to “fully engage in the crea<ve
process” (Florida, 2002, p.69). The Super‐Crea<ve Core is considered
innova<ve, crea<ng commercial products and consumer goods. Their
primary job func<on is to be crea<ve and innova<ve. “Along with
problem solving, their work may entail problem finding” (Florida, 2002,
p.69).
• Crea<ve Professionals: These professionals are the classic knowledge‐
based workers and include those working in healthcare, business and
finance, the legal sector, and educa<on. They “draw on complex bodies
of knowledge to solve specific problems” using higher degrees of
educa<on to do so (2002).
Florida concludes that the creaKve class is the core force of economic growth in
our future economy, and is expected to add more than 10 million jobs in the
next decade.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 15

18. Contacts/Outreach
Contact Context
Franklin Fire Use of space adjacent to Fire StaKon 1: Will they expand EAST or WEST?
Department What are their needs?
Franklin Library SCHEDULED: Michlig to present concept and explore cooperaKve
opportuniKes at 5/27/09 Library Board MeeKng
MATC Possible direct curriculum: Run and manage coffee shop.
Franklin High School/ Possible direct curriculum: Run and manage coffee shop.
Franklin School Board
UW‐Milwaukee Invite students to submit design proposals.
SCORE Service Core of ReKred Professionals: Possible mentoring and input on
business plan.
Franklin Plan Staff Design and site plan logisKcs and execuKon. Visioning materials.
South Suburban InteracKon with possible local ownership.
Chamber of
Commerce
Park Department Re‐zoning of the “Park Plot” will be required.
Northwestern Possible grant.
Mutual FoundaKon
Local Press (Journal Manage disseminaKon of informaKon.
SenKnel/NOW/
Franklin CiKzen)
MSOE Gather informaKon about their experience running the Blatz Building
Cafe.
Owner of Dunn Bros. Insight into business challenges; possible partner.
Independence First Determine interest in placing workers in the facility.
Coffee Shop/Co‐Working Facility 16