BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: The Annex: A gathering place, a thriving space

PALMER — Tucked into a cozy corner of downtown Palmer is The Annex, an office sharing space that has blossomed into a community hub. Located off South Alaska Street, The Annex is a place to bring a variety of purposes through its doors. From an entrepreneur who normally works at home, but needs a place to meet a client, to an ornate baby shower for an expecting mother, the inside has been rented out to many sorts of events, businesses, causes and parties in the community. The Annex has even started to host its own events, like Murder Mystery Night, which sells out quickly every time. Luanne Urfer is the owner of SDG Land Architecture and Environmental Solutions and she also owns The Annex. Jan Newman is the office coordinator for The Annex.

Newman said The Annex is Urfer’s “brainchild.” Urfer wanted something like this to exist so she made it happen. The initial business plan was to facilitate a business space for various groups, businesses, and individuals but over time it has morphed into a community center of sorts. So, in addition to various entities utilizing the space as on office, there are others who use The Annex to hold events like yoga classes, political rallies, art workshops, and so on.

“We’ve had every kind of event imaginable, from A to Z,” Newman said.

The Annex has eight small offices, an open collaboration space, a classroom/training room, a conference room, a kitchenette, and a cozy sitting lounge with a fireplace. Newman said that one of the most alluring aspects of The Annex is the quiet and cozy atmosphere. The interior is well lighted and filled with illustrious decorations; Urfer designed everything. Local art from the community also hangs around the building. Newman said that the utilities and internet service aren’t usually included with other office spaces so that plus the social interaction component makes it unlike any other place to borrow space.

“It’s a really great gathering place,” Newman said.

Built in 1952, The Annex was originally the Palmer morgue. After the morgue shut down, the building was mostly vacant, occasionally being used by the Borough for record storage. In 2013 Urfer began using the building as her office for SDG. In June 2014, she started the remodel and the following May, The Annex opened its doors for the first time. The SDG office is still inside the building. Newman and Urfer work together, almost symbiotically. The two say that they often build off each other’s energy and ideas. They met while working together on Newman’s Grow Palmer efforts. Urfer designed both of Newman’s public gardens, the Edible Park behind the Salvation Army which left when they did and the current Edible Rail Trail along South Valley Way. When Newman found out about Urfer’s plans for The Annex, she immediately jumped on board. Since then it’s been a “constant brainstorm session.”

“She’s very community minded,” Newman said.

The Annex sees a lot of people from the community come in and out of the building for one reason or another. There’s regular customers who frequent The Annex like an author working on her novel, a lady who has a job in Washington and works remotely up here, and a Valley resident that works in Anchorage but doesn’t like to commute so he does a lot of his work in The Annex. The Chamber has regular morning meetings there. Community groups like the Palmer Food Swap also occupy the space on a regular basis. The building has become a hub for the community to network and prosper their efforts. Newman said that its popularity has grown substantially over the years and the weekends tend to fill up quickly. There’s even a waiting list for the offices. Newman said she would like to see more people take advantage of the time open during the weekdays and use the collaboration space. Urfer said there’s always been such a need for the community to have a place like The Annex to share ideas and network.

“I think it will continue to grow,” Urfer said.

The Annex is still growing. They are currently adding five more offices, another small conference room and another collaboration space in the back. The expansion should be complete by spring. For more information about The Annex and the rental options, call 907-745-3900 or visit valleyannex.com.