New office center gets schooled at former Westlawn Middle

HUNTSVILLE — The fate awaiting an old school is usually tragic. More often than not, it is razed to build a shopping mall or a parking lot.

But the city of Huntsville, with the vision of community-minded entrepreneurs leading the way, has become an expert at repurposing old schools rather than tearing them down.

From Campus 805 to West Huntsville Elementary, the results have been extraordinary.

Now, a group of Westlawn Middle School alums with a reputation for community-minded projects has taken their former school, which closed in 2018, and repurposed it into affordable, high-quality collaborative office workspace in a centralized location.

“The school played an import role in Huntsville’s growth,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “By preserving the building, the project honors generations of Huntsvillians that walked through its halls.”

With support from some 300 community members, local developers Garrett Coyne and Beth Stender Boyer renovated the Westlawn Middle School building into an office center intended as the gateway for a West Huntsville renaissance.

Known for their community involvement and founders of the workforce development nonprofit, Hatch, Coyne and Boyer held a ribbon-cutting and open house Wednesday for the redeveloped building, which they purchased in 2021.

During the event, Coyne announced that local restaurant delivery service GrubSouth has moved its office to Westlawn.

GrubSouth and all future tenants will have access to a conference center, kitchen, coffee bar, and collaborative workspaces.

“It was critical for us to preserve the building and provide access to affordable workspace in Huntsville,” said Coyne. “Businesses and entrepreneurs need a unique, dynamic space to work and grow. Westlawn provides that.”

Already looking to phase II, Coyne and Boyer plan to transform the nearly one-acre courtyard into outdoor breakout workspaces.

Former Westlawn Middle student Chad Bostic unveiled the landscape and courtyard plans.

“To have this opportunity to see new life given to a place where you spent part of your childhood is unique,” he said. “What was an under-designed space when I attended, is going to be a vibrant spot for tenants to collaborate with other like-minded businesses, have small client meetings or larger presentations, exercise during walking meetings, relieve stress, or just to take a break during the day.

“We are honored to be a part of the design team.”

Coyne said the space isn’t just for office tenants.

A commissary kitchen will open in the former school cafeteria kitchen. It will provide food and beverage entrepreneurs with a clean, licensed commercial kitchen in which to grow their business.

Suites range from 118 square feet to more than 10,000 square feet.

Walker Previous and Anusha Alapati Davis with Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate will act as leasing agents for the development.