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SparkMacon 2.0 opens up in Macon's industrial area

This is a maker's space where you can run a business or work on a hobby.

Thursday, SparkMacon 2.0 held a grand re-opening event in the industrial authority.

If you're looking for a space to build a business, this may be just what you're looking for.

The red brick building looks simple and nondescript outside, but inside is a playground for entrepreneurs called SparkMacon 2.0.

Andrew Eck is the chairman of the Spark board and says they are targeting a specific person to become a member.

"They have an idea and they need a space to work out of, they don't have a garage or the garage is full of, you've got eight pallets of bricks coming in and you don't ??? where to put them -- are the members that are going to be using this space," he said.

You may remember SparkMacon they opened up on Cherry Street back in 2014.  

But they outgrew that space. Now, they're in a partnership with the industrial authority that's giving them subsidized rent.

Eck says he's excited about the toys they have to offer.

"We have two different laser engravers two different 3D printers and a few other things," he rattled off.

Basic membership will run you a hundred bucks a month, for an additional Benjamin a month, you can get your own cubicle.

"That's your space. We have different people doing either private projects or running companies out of there and have their office desk there," Eck said.

Downstairs is a common area, and that's where we found Robert Grant. He calls himself a mad scientist and he's working on a mammoth project.

"This started life as a 1973 Chevy Corvette that we found at an insurance auction," he said looking down at the car. "We're converting it into a go-kart which is what's going on right now, and then we're going to radio control it, and then after that, it will have some sort of self-driving capability."

It's street legal and Grant says he couldn't have pulled this off anywhere else.

"Being able to use my normal skills with robotics and combine that with an automotive project and be able to do that right here where I can go from this workspace directly upstairs to an office just makes this really unique," he explained.

Eck agrees.

"There's no one else doing it. There's some doing office space, there are some people that have different rapid prototyping equipment you can use, but no one's saying, 'Hey, use this space, leverage it, start a business, grow it, and get out of here," Eck said.

The new SparkMacon is located at 600 Guy Paine Road, off Broadway.

They also have a Facebook page.

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