DENVER — The City and County of Denver is getting serious about office-to-residential conversions.
Denver is spending $75,000 from its 2023 budget on a study that will assess the conversion of downtown office buildings to residential units. This study is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, according to Laura Swartz, communications director for Community Planning and Development.
As many companies have committed to hybrid work policies, Denver recognizes that offices may never return to pre-pandemic levels, and is thus exploring ways to create more housing through vacant office space downtown, according to Swartz.
Meanwhile, in December 2022, the city of Denver put out a request for proposals from building owners interested in studying the feasibility of renovating their office buildings for residential use. Contracts with various buildings are currently underway, and the city expects that process to wrap up at the beginning of April, Swartz said.
Through its feasibility study, the city will examine as many as 30 downtown office buildings that could possibly have the potential to become residential units. Floor plate sizes, access to nearby transit and the mechanical systems in these buildings will all factor into whether the city identifies a building as one that could undergo a conversion.
> Read the full story at the Denver Business Journal.
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