Adapting Underutilized Commercial Spaces For Residential Development: New Tools And Challenges

California recognizes a need for more legislative support for conversions.

Although vacant offices have received the most press in the post-pandemic era, even pre-pandemic, hundreds of thousands of square feet of structures were already semi-vacant, abandoned or functionally obsolete across the U.S. A convergence of factors has focused attention nationwide on redeveloping these underperforming properties, including the COVID-accelerated underutilization of offices, malls and parking lots; a housing shortage; and requirements to reduce environmental impacts, vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past two decades, California has enacted adaptive reuse legislation that could help other communities looking to revitalize their residential and commercial markets.