As Volta opens its doors for the first time this morning, the thing that really pleases its organizers is that they’re no longer the only ones doing the organizing.

That task is being undertaken more and more by the 10 tech startups occupying the shared office space on Spring Garden Road in Halifax. And that’s just fine by Jevon MacDonald, TitanFile Co-Founder Milan Vrekic, regional venture fund manager Patrick Keefe and the other people who have put the project together.

“I think the cool thing about Volta is how the community is already taking ownership of it,” said MacDonald earlier this week. “Some of the first crop of tenants have been helping renovate the space and are helping develop some programs.”

MacDonald, best known as the Co-Founder and CEO of GoInstant, formally announced the opening of Volta last night when he delivered the keynote address at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Dinner. It was fitting as MacDonald came up with the idea of a communal tech space around the time he was raising money for GoInstant in the summer of 2011. The speech included a passionate advertisement for the economic potential of tech startups, and the need to teach coding to students in public schools.

The idea – now coming to fruition – is that 10 to 13 startups (with two to four employees each) can all work together, learn from each other, share expertise and contacts, and accelerate their growth. The mission includes various events, such as mentoring sessions, that will help develop entrepreneurs who occupy the space.

What the founders are hoping, and what is beginning to happen, is that the tenants take charge of what these events will be and how the tiny community at 5415 Spring Garden Road will develop.

“It’s not Patrick, Jevon or me, but the community that will pick it up and run with it,” said Vrekic, who will serve as executive director of the operation.

The tenants, organizers and even the group’s lawyer, Rob Cowan of McInnes Cooper, spent time a few weekends ago knocking down walls and preparing the space for occupancy. (I knew these guys were smart but I’m amazed they found a way to get their lawyer to do manual labour.) McInnes Cooper, Deloitte, e3 Office Furniture and OMERS Ventures are locked in as sponsors of the outfit.

There is enough space at Volta for 13 companies, but they are starting with 10 to see how things work out. The first group of tenants will be: FundMetric, which is developing an automated funding system for non-profits;, Interview Rocket; Compilr; Toplog; Analyze Re; UpMyGame; Wagepoint, which provides automated payroll service); The Rounds (formerly Boondoc); Titanfile; and Illumika, a spinoff from Tim Burke’s 26ones .

Titanfile is the most mature of these companies and will likely move on in a few months, Vrekic  said. The company is there now to help guide the younger companies – the type of leadership that Volta hopes to foster.

He added: “In two years this will be a launch pad for new companies and a place where established companies can share their knowledge with the new ones.”