Workbar, the Boston-based coworking operator, is heading back to Somerville's Union Square with plans to occupy roughly 10,000 square feet inside the USQ redevelopment. The deal brings a familiar local brand into a neighborhood that has been filling in with lab, office and retail projects in recent years. The new space is expected to cater to startups, freelancers and small teams looking for flexible desks, private offices and event rooms. The move was first reported on July 14, 2026.
Workbar plans to open the 10,000-square-foot facility as part of the broader USQ project, and CEO Sarah Travers said Union Square is "becoming a hub for innovation," as reported by the Boston Business Journal. The Business Journal's coverage notes that the USQ team received dozens of requests for coworking space over the past year, signaling demand from local companies and remote workers. Reporter Grant Welker first reported the lease on July 14. The article did not list a firm opening date or fit-out timeline.
USQ's scale and neighborhood context
The USQ redevelopment is described as a large, transit-oriented project, with roughly 3.8 million square feet of planned construction and more than 150,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to the project's website. USQ frames the master plan as a push to expand lab and innovation space and to add housing, green space and retail around the Green Line station. That growing concentration of employers and residents helps explain why a coworking operator would want to anchor space in the development.
Workbar's local roots and what it offers
Workbar already ran a smaller Union Square outpost years ago and operates locations across Greater Boston, a history the company highlights in its own posts. Its original "Workbar Union" announcement and current landlord-partnership materials show a model in which Workbar handles buildout, programming and day-to-day operations for landlords. The landlord partnership page lists typical footprints from roughly 6,500 to 27,000 square feet, which suggests the 10,000-square-foot slot at USQ fits the operator's standard range. Workbar and Workbar outline those offerings.
Why it matters for Somerville
Local developers say a coworking tenant can help activate ground-floor retail and provide flexible office options for early-stage firms that are not yet ready to sign long office leases. That dynamic is part of why USQ said it received many inbound requests for shared workspace, according to reporting by the Boston Business Journal. A regional coworking operator could act as an on-ramp for small startups and remote workers who will increasingly need space close to the labs and offices moving into Union Square.
