Adaptive Reuse of Empty Office Space

By: Bea Meyer

Introduction to Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive reuse is the process of modifying an existing building to serve new uses. This form of redevelopment presents an exciting opportunity to adapt existing properties to meet the current needs of the community. Adaptive reuse could promote sustainability in Denver by redeveloping empty office space as housing.

Adaptive reuse converts an existing building to serve a new purpose. This includes a broad range of conversions, such as converting an industrial building into a shopping center or a parking lot into a green space. In Denver, adaptive reuse of empty office space as housing would promote sustainability by increasing access to housing, increasing demand for local businesses, increasing demand for transit and alternative forms of transportation, and offering various environmental benefits.

Empty office space in Denver is a growing problem. Vacancy rates of office space have been increasing for years, and this was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. As companies continue to shift toward remote work and away from office spaces, these commercial properties will remain under-utilized. This valuable space in downtown Denver could better serve the community’s needs by being converted to serve another purpose.

One of the primary needs for Denver’s community is housing. With the population steadily increasing and rents being unsustainably high, access to housing is a growing issue for the Denver community. Increasing the number of available units is one tool for increasing access to housing and reducing rent prices, and redeveloping empty office space as housing could add thousands of new residential units in Upper Downtown.

The City of Denver funded a study in 2022 to assess which buildings may be compatible for this form of conversion, and the results were promising. The study considered a variety of factors for suitability, including the walkability of the site, access to transit, shape and structure of the building, external features, access to parking, and services like electric and plumbing. 16 properties were identified as ideal candidates for this type of project. If all 16 of the ideal candidates were converted to housing, it would create more than 5,000 additional units downtown. The city has continued working with developers to support redevelopment of these properties and other strong candidates, including through two Adaptive Reuse Pilot Programs that focus on adaptive reuse in Upper Downtown and East Colfax Avenue.

Benefits and Challenges

This form of adaptive reuse presents an exciting opportunity to increase housing in Denver, use valuable properties more effectively, and promote sustainability in other ways. This form of adaptive reuse is sustainable in a variety of ways, including extending a building's life and reducing wasted materials. It would also increase density downtown, which would support local businesses and economic development, increase the pool of people using transit systems, and allow people to live closer to where they work. This form of high-density housing development downtown would also help prevent more sprawl around Denver, because families would not be priced out of the city and into surrounding new developments. The benefits of this form of adaptive reuse are extensive, and would promote sustainability in Denver in a variety of ways.

While this form of adaptive reuse offers an exciting opportunity, there are various challenges to its implementation. The primary challenge is the physical makeup of the buildings. Some properties are not suitable for this type of redevelopment, for many reasons. Newer office buildings tend to be large and not have the right utility setups to support residential units, as well as having windows and other fixtures that are not compliant with residential building standards. Fixing these issues adds significant cost to a project and dissuades developers and property owners from investing in this type of redevelopment.

However, not all buildings are equally affected by these issues. The Denver Compatibility Assessment considered these challenges when determining a property’s suitability for redevelopment, and some properties are less impacted by these issues than others. By continuing to invest in this type of research, and supporting developers through programs like the pilot programs, the City of Denver can help ensure that the most suitable properties are prioritized for this form of redevelopment and minimize the impact of these challenges.

Future of Adaptive Reuse in Denver

This form of adaptive reuse is an exciting opportunity for sustainable development here in Denver. These projects would better utilize valuable space in the heart of the city and address Denver’s growing need for housing, as well as promoting several other goals for sustainability. There are issues that make some properties unsuitable, but many properties are good candidates for this type of project. By investing in research like the Denver Compatibility Assessment and supporting developers with these projects, the city can ensure that resources are directed to the best candidates and existing obstacles do not limit this form of sustainable development.