The Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce said it is aiming to go “beyond the brick” with a new office it plans to build on Byron Nelson Boulevard in Roanoke. Sally Aldridge, president and CEO of the chamber, announced Aug. 6 plans for the organization to construct a two-story building at 381 W. Byron Nelson Blvd. The new location will be just a couple of miles from the chamber’s current office at 600 Byron Nelson Blvd., Ste. 500, Roanoke. The chamber plans to break ground on the new building in September, with construction expected to be completed in May 2020. Northwest Metroport’s new building will span more than 8,000 square feet. The chamber will house its staff in about 2,000 square feet of the new building’s space, with room to grow beyond its current workforce of eight full-time, part-time and contract workers. But Aldridge and the chamber are putting special emphasis on the additional coworking and furnished office space that will be offered at the new location. Plans call for more than 3,000 square feet of coworking space and over 1,100 square feet that will be divided into seven offices for lease. The spaces will include amenities such as a board room and three conference rooms with audio/visual equipment, a workroom with a printer, and a coffee bar. Wi-Fi will be offered throughout the building. Those who use the leased offices or coworking space must be chamber members, and the chamber is still working on fees to use the space. Aldridge said she has seen high demand in the area for coworking space and wants to offer more affordable office space for new and startup businesses. She said the office will also offer those businesses the opportunity to network and share ideas. “The work culture is changing, demanding new and innovative ways to connect not only with technology but also with each other,” Aldridge said. “Our chamber is going beyond the brick by providing a building that offers our members state-of-the-art work options to include coworking space, dedicated office opportunities and conference room availability.” The office will also include space for the chamber to host lunch and learns, networking and other events, Aldridge added. The chamber moved into its current space in 2010. At the time, Aldridge expected to stay in the location for 10 years. She said the organization outgrew the office in just six years. While looking at options for new office space, the chamber formed partnerships with local businesses that allowed it to find land and construct its new building. Integrity Group and Integrity Land Title helped the chamber buy the land and are developing and constructing the building. RGA Architects is offering architecture services, and G&A | McAdams Co. is serving as the project’s engineer. “We were looking at going in a different direction for another five years, and we were going to expand in the current office that we’re in,” Aldridge said. “Then Integrity Group came to us with this opportunity [for the land purchase and construction]. Then, RGA came to us with the opportunity of doing all the design. G&A | McAdams came to us to do all the engineering. The rest is kind of history.” The chamber is also working on a capital campaign to help pay for construction, furniture, equipment and rebranding at the new building. It is looking to raise $600,000 over the next three years. The Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce serves Argyle, Haslet, Justin, Northlake, Roanoke, Trophy Club and Westlake. It has served the region since 1988 and has grown its membership to more than 500 businesses. Those interested in leasing offices at the new building can contact Aldridge at 817-837-1000. To learn more about the chamber, visit www.nwmetroportchamber.org.