Coalition opens a new 7,500-square-foot workspace facility
Photo by Tim Garcia
By Christian Weaner
Creativity, collaboration and an appreciation for community are some of the core values that Tim Garcia has exhibited throughout his entrepreneurial career.
Utilizing his expertise in business management and his experience founding numerous organizations, Tim has become a catalyst in the Bonners Ferry community since he and his family moved here seven years ago.
“I just like creating/building stuff,” Tim explained. “It’s not always stress-free, but the end vision generally gets me to the finish line.”
One of Tim’s latest projects has been the building and launching of a new 7,500-square-foot collaborative workspace and warehouse called The Coalition | Cowork, which features state-of-the-art facilities designed to build community around entrepreneurship and skill-sharing.
Although the building and amenities are brand new, Tim’s vision for The Coalition is something that has constantly evolved and expanded since he arrived in North Idaho. In fact, The Coalition began as a Facebook group in 2017 that Tim started to connect with other business owners and professionals in the area.
“My intentions [for creating the page] were selfish,” Tim admitted. “I just wanted to meet other like-minded people up here.”
Through The Coalition, Tim hosted a handful of events and received a lot of positive responses from the community.
In 2021, The Coalition opened its first brick-and-mortar location in a small but functional workspace just off Main Street downtown. Quickly, Tim realized that the building was a bit cramped, and in 2022 he began construction on The Coalition’s new building.
The Coalition | Cowork is now located north of town at 188 Plato Drive near 3-Mile Café. Tim opted for a soft launch of the new building in late 2023, allowing a handful of select businesses — including one of Tim’s other businesses, Überleben — to utilize the space.
This larger space has allowed The Coalition to exponentially expand its infrastructure and create room for amenities like dedicated private offices, conference rooms, a third-party logistics shipping fulfillment center as well as photo, video and podcasting studios — just to name a few.
Ultimately, while Tim is happy to provide so many top-notch services to his customers, the purpose of the space is greater than its list of conveniences.
“Aside from all the listed amenities, including fiber optic internet, The Coalition is about building community around entrepreneurship and skill sharing,” Tim noted. “There’s a strong energy that comes with working in proximity with other like-minded people.”
The Coalition | Cowork is currently offering discounted early bird pricing at $99 per month for full access to the facilities — a price that will increase once it is fully up-and-running.
Tim and his team are continuing to build out the interior of the space and automating its processes, which include after-hours keyless entry and in-app purchases of snacks and beverages. His goal is to host a grand opening for The Coalition | Cowork this spring.
In the meantime, Tim and The Coalition | Cowork are hosting a Monthly Morning Mixer, which takes place from 7:30 to 8:30am on the second Tuesday of each month. This collaborative time, which is open to anyone who wants to check it out, features free coffee and donuts and is a great means to connect with others from the community.
Since its inception in 2017, The Coalition has always facilitated opportunities for local entrepreneurs and professionals to collaboratively share ideas and experiences for the betterment of not only themselves but the entire community.
“Surprisingly, networking in a small town can be difficult,” Tim acknowledged. “Without creating some kind of infrastructure to facilitate, people tend to stay in.”
Tim’s passion for creativity is evident in The Coalition | Cowork’s lavish new building, but his heart for connectivity is the foundation that it is built on.
To learn more about The Coalition | Cowork or schedule a tour of the building, visit TheCoalitionBF.com. You can also find out more information about upcoming events and opportunities by following “The Coalition BF” on Facebook.