Jerry Gaudi’s vision for Wilkinsburg now includes a co-working space on Wood Street.

The revitalization and growth of the Wilkinsburg area has been a long, but rewarding process for Pittsburgh. New businesses and the redevelopment of current businesses have brought some light on what was once viewed as a distressed neighborhood. One reason for this “renaissance,” is due to the help of Jerry Gaudi, the manager of Ground Floor Concepts and member of the Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce. Under Gaudi’s leadership, 900 Wood Street in Wilkinsburg has re-opened its doors after nearly 30 years of vacancy, as a shared office space for upcoming businesses and for those looking to develop their current business.

Gaudi sees great potential in the Wilkinsburg area and is excited to be working in a location with such great history in the heart of the business district. “This location organically happened,” said Gaudi when asked about choosing 900 Wood Street. “I saw growth happening in Wilkinsburg and wanted to work to change the stigma in the borough.” By bringing business representatives together, Gaudi hopes they work collaboratively to make Wilkinsburg better instead of competing against each other. “Our main focus is to create a business directory with resources, support, and a space in order to make the chamber and Wilkinsburg as a whole more efficient.”

900 Wood Street offers a wide variety of services for its clients. These include monthly mentoring, business peer to peer pods, networking, comfortable meeting rooms, opportunities to test run businesses looking for a permanent location, and affordable coworking memberships. At just $99 a month for unlimited access, the Chamber provides all of the right tools to jumpstart any business.

“Check out Wilkinsburg, it’s on the rise. If you’re looking to start a small business; check this place out,” said Gaudi. The building is looking to add many food, coffee, and clothing businesses in the near future. For more information check out 900woodstreet.wixsite.com.