On a beautiful, sunny April afternoon, it was apt that a floral company was busy at Hive, a new coworking space in Ybor City. No bees, thankfully, just the diligent team from Blue House Florals preparing bouquets for a sizable wedding. Blue House owner and lead designer Kali Rabaut says the flower studio needed extra room to handle the large order. She’s appreciative that Hive had space available to rent.
“It’s a wedding for 400!” Rabaut says. “I work from my home like all studio florists, but this is a huge project. I’ve been keeping tabs on the Hive; they are in my neighborhood. This is our first time renting here and it’s been an amazing week. They are very helpful and creative. It’s nice to have a space like this that has so much variety.”
Out of the box
Hive quietly opened its doors in March at 1802 E. Third Ave. in the Ybor City Historic District. It is a cozy, creative, coworking space in a repurposed building that has the potential to become a popular community hub. Already, Hive is hosting events like a yoga class that also offered complimentary matcha in March thanks to a collaboration with the local group Current Mood Club and its ”Don’t Cry Over Spilled Matcha” series.
The events help build community while the array of workspace options help entrepreneurs and creatives build businesses. There are seven private offices, a dedicated meeting room, about a dozen cozy desk pods, and a variety of casual, open workspaces complete with conference tables, couches, chairs, and rugs. A large covered outdoor area is expected to open later this year.
The perks for Hive members include complimentary coffee and tea, discounts to local partner businesses, and a location in the heart of vibrant, walkable Ybor. At 5,300 square feet, it also has ample space to accommodate a bevy of entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Hive owners Stephanie Harrison-Bailey
and her husband David Bailey lease the building and previously used it as a “glorified warehouse” for their micro-retail development company Nimble Retail. But when redevelopment plans for the property were delayed, the couple saw a new opportunity.
“We realized the universe was telling us to expand,” Bailey says. “We had more space than we needed, so we decided to create an environment where creatives of all types could come together and collaborate.”
True to their motto — "We always say yes to Ybor" — the Baileys committed to developing a space that reflects their love for the neighborhood and serves its vibrant creative community. Hive already has around 15 regular users during the workweek and a busy schedule of weekend events. While the maximum capacity is still being determined, Hive is designed to accommodate dozens of people for indoor events and will have more space to use when the outdoor area is activated.
The building itself has a rich and quirky history. Formerly a trucking logistics office, it sat vacant for years before the Baileys moved in.
“The space felt very corporate and outdated, not at all the vibe we wanted for Hive," Bailey explains. "But with a background in architecture and design, I knew we could transform it without a major budget.”
They completely reinvented the atmosphere through inexpensive but impactful upgrades like new lighting, a fresh, vibrant paint job, and thoughtful furnishings. In a twist of fate that added to the space’s new identity, the Baileys discovered the building was already home to a colony of bees. The bees were safely relocated — but they left behind both honey and inspiration.
"Hive" was born.
The Hive colony
John Apsey, a professional photographer with a portrait studio, has made Hive his full-time workspace.
“I like being at the Hive,” Apsey says. “It’s nice to socialize with people. Stephanie and Jas (head of marketing and operations) are very welcoming. It’s a great location in historic Ybor City, lots of places to get a bite to eat. Proximity to downtown. If you are a business that meets clients, they have a great meeting space too. And it’s always fun to drive in and see the roosters.”
Husband and wife David and Kathleen Bly are at Hive three to four days a week working on the small business they co-founded, Jib Projects, which makes materially focused sculpture, lighting, and furniture. They hold a storied place in Hive history as the first member entrepreneurs to use the space - several months before it opened.
“We got a large project that we needed more space for and immediately called Stephanie and David to see if we could join them here last year, before Hive was Hive,” Kathleen Bly says.
“It is nice to have a sense of community,” she continues. “Jib is just my husband, David, and I so getting to be around other people too has been invigorating. They have done a great job attracting wonderful people from diverse industries to Hive and have made the space professional, casual, and inviting.”
Bailey agrees.
“It has been truly special to see who is showing up to Hive,” he says. “We have such a diverse family of members one month in, and they're already coming together to collaborate on projects and events. In such a chaotic world, I think it's vital to find a community that can simultaneously ground and enliven you, and that's what we are working to build here in Ybor.”
For the Baileys, Hive is more than just a workspace — it’s an extension of their passion for community and creativity. For Ybor City, it’s a buzzworthy new addition that helps fuel the neighborhood's dynamic spirit.
For more information, go to Hive