Despite city and state incentives, officials expect the program will result in a modest number of new housing units.
A new Seattle city law reduces development requirements for office-to-residential conversion projects, reports Ysabelle Kempe in Smart Cities Dive.
Average residential rents grew by 32 percent between 2012 and 2022, while Seattle’s office vacancy rate jumped to 25 percent earlier this year, up from 5 percent in 2019. “The law, signed by Mayor Bruce Harrell on Thursday, allows developers who convert buildings to housing to skirt design development standards and avoid requirements to include affordable housing.”
The city’s Office of Planning and Community Development says it expects the law will result in ‘less that a dozen’ projects over the next seven years that could produce 1,000 to 2,000 housing units due to the challenges of adaptive reuse.
Goals of the adaptive reuse program, according to the city, include a “more balanced use mix of housing and commercial uses in downtown,” avoiding long periods of building vacancy, and the revitalization of downtown neighborhoods.
FULL STORY: Seattle encourages office-to-residential conversions with new law
California Law Would Streamline Adaptive Reuse Process
A bill passed by the state senate would ease the permitting process for office conversions in central city neighborhoods.
Legislation Introduced to Support Adaptive Reuse of Federal Buildings
The proposed bill would promote the conversion of vacant and underused buildings into affordable housing.
DC Issues Draft Adaptive Reuse Regulations
A proposed tax abatement program would promote the conversion of office buildings to housing.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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