LAKELAND, Fla. — The latest version of a Lakeland-based nonprofit business incubator is getting ready to make its debut in a new location near Lake Mirror in downtown.
- Catapult 3.0 will offer large co-working spaces, conference room, assembly hall
- Most people working at current location expected to move to new one
- More Polk County stories
The second and third floors of the new Catapult 3.0 facility should be open in a few weeks, and the first floor soon after that.
The current version of Catapult is located in the basement of the Bank of America building in downtown. Dozens of people share a co-working space and often collaborate.
Most of the people working with Catapult in the current space are expected to move into the new building.
Executive director Christina Graham said people who want to work out of the new facility, which will feature large co-working spaces, small individual offices, a conference room, and an assembly hall, have to apply.
"We look for people that are your traditional startups that are getting their hands dirty and staring a new business," said Graham. "And people that want to be in a shared space with other people."
Once it opens, the first floor of Catapult 3.0 will feature a massive maker space with hundreds of thousands of dollars of high tech equipment.
“So there will be everything from a CNC machine, laser cutters, ban saws, the works,” Graham explained.
The maker space will also include a commercial kitchen.
Jordan Arbuckle, who currently operates his app development and other businesses out of the current Catapult, believes the new larger facility will help him as he works with Florida Poly students on a mental health app for young adults.
“They are going to do all these features and if I like that kind of talent I will bring them into my company. They can take an office. It’s a bigger space,” Arbuckle said.
Catapult 3.0 will also provide short business courses and business coaching.