Less than two years after purchasing the former police station on Liberty Street in Downtown Harrisonburg to serve as a second office building, Rosetta Stone exceeded the 205-person occupancy. In response to that growth, and to prepare for an upcoming product launch, the company has leased 6,500 square feet on the third floor of the Wetsel Seed building at 128 W. Market St. in downtown.
Owned and renovated by Marvin Baker, the Wetsel Seed warehouse serves as a multi-use building with street level space available for retail, Union Station restaurant on the second floor and now office space for Rosetta Stone on the top floor. Original hardwood floors, as well as the massive industrial machinery, are preserved throughout this adapted space. Light streams through oversized industrial windows and low walls between work stations allow for a clear line of sight across the expansive rooms. This open environment echoes the progressive, collaborative-focused culture that Rosetta Stone has cultivated from their very foundation.
“Rosetta Stone employees have a lot of pride in the Harrisonburg community, they love the downtown restaurants” says Eric Reese, facilities manager. In an effort to remain a part of downtown, Rosetta Stone has chosen to occupy revitalized buildings instead of building facilities outside of town. “We want to continue our efforts of adaptive reuse” says Simon Berriochoa, senior director of Operations at Rosetta Stone. “There are challenges that come with that” he explained “communication between departments is always something to work around.”
The language-learning software company, whose creators began the company in 1992, have remained close to their Downtown Harrisonburg roots. Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance executive director Eddie Bumbaugh feels that this is a partnership that he can see growing,
“Rosetta Stone is an extremely valued downtown business with more than 600 employees in Harrisonburg. These employees shop, dine, live and attend events downtown. As the revitalization of downtown progresses and Rosetta Stone continues to grow, there will be many opportunities to nurture our partnership and complimentary relationship,” Bumbaugh said.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].
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