The program complements an existing residential conversion initiative and could yield up to 2.5 million square feet of new commercial space.
A new program in Washington, D.C. encourages the adaptive reuse of downtown office buildings into almost any other business, with the program itself dubbed “Office to Anything” (but officially known as Central Washington Activation Projects Temporary Tax Abatement), reports Ida Domingo for ABC 7 News.
The program is aimed specifically at non-residential uses such as hotels, retail, entertainment, or other uses, acknowledging that residential conversions, which are supported by the 2024 Housing in Downtown program, are not possible for every building. In announcing the program, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “Through Office to Anything, we will transform vacant and underutilized offices into new, productive uses that increase foot traffic, generate economic activity and tax revenue, and bring new vibrancy to DC’s commercial core.”
The program offers a 15-year property tax freeze and could impact up to 2.5 million square feet of underused office space. “Officials said the value of the total tax abatements available is subject to a cap of $5 million for 2027, $6 million for 2028, and $8 million for 2029, with 4% growth each year after.”
FULL STORY: Office to Anything': DC launches program to turn empty offices into new businesses
Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.
Office Conversion Sees No Sign of Slowing
The adaptive reuse of office buildings for residential and other uses will grow by as much as 63 percent in 2024 over last year.
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Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
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Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
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What Trump’s Executive Orders Mean for US Housing Programs
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research