As record-high office vacancies persist in U.S. urban areas, cities are rethinking zoning policy.
More cities are modifying single-use downtown zoning to encourage office conversions to multifamily and mixed-use developments. And with good reason, as mixed-use neighborhoods on average have weathered pandemic shutdowns better than single-use business districts.
With most downtown-based workers embracing work-from-home options, the conception of office-only city districts that go vacant at night may be outmoded. In Washington D.C., for example, a record office vacancy rate of more than 18% has fueled a trend of office-to-apartment conversions.
Officials in D.C. and New York City are debating zoning changes to spur more of these conversions. New York officials are particularly focused on the mid-town Manhattan office district, though many towers targeted for conversion in that area were built in the 1960s. These buildings, with most of the square footage configured on large floor plates inside windowless building cores, make for a significant design challenge to convert them to residential use.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Sep 20, 2017
Bubble? What bubble?: Apartment and condo construction simply can't keep up with demand
Since the current multifamily boom took off in 2010, most activity has focused on large urban areas.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 20, 2017
New housing development rises from a historic textile mill’s ashes
Loft Five50 will add 137 housing units to Lawrence, Mass.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 19, 2017
Top 90 multifamily construction firms
Lendlease, Suffolk Construction, and Clark Group top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest multifamily sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 18, 2017
Top 40 multifamily engineering firms
WSP, AECOM, and Thronton Tomasetti top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest multifamily sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 15, 2017
Hurricane Harvey damaged fewer apartments in greater Houston than estimated
As of Sept. 14, 166 properties reported damage to 8,956 units, about 1.4% of the total supply of apartments, according to ApartmentData.com.
Giants 400 | Sep 14, 2017
Top 95 multifamily architecture firms
Humphreys & Partners Architects, KTGY, and Perkins Eastman top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest multifamily sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 5, 2017
Free WiFi, meeting rooms most popular business services amenities in multifamily developments
Complimentary, building-wide WiFi is more or less a given for marketing purposes in the multifamily arena.
University Buildings | Sep 1, 2017
The University of Texas receives boutique-style student housing complex
The Ruckus Lofts provide 46 furnished units and 165 beds for UT students.
Mixed-Use | Aug 30, 2017
Former industrial building becomes 'lifestyle community' in ever-evolving Baltimore
The new community offers 292 apartments with 20,000 sf of retail space.
University Buildings | Aug 25, 2017
‘Chapel of food’ becomes one of Clemson’s go-to spaces on campus
The new dining hall is part of the school’s ongoing efforts to maintain its standing among the country’s top 20 public universities.
