Denver looks to convert office spaces to apartments
More Denver office buildings could soon be converted into apartments.
The City and County of Denver released a study evaluating the compatibility of underutilized office buildings for potential residential use.
"If the top 16 buildings from Denver's analysis were converted to residential uses, this could add over five thousand units to our Downtown neighborhood," said Jon Gambrill, managing director of Gensler's Denver office. "This would also convert upwards of 4.3 million square feet of office space to new residential uses."
The study identifies 21 buildings that are good candidates for conversion. Some of the factors include walkability, proximity to transit, natural light, the shape of the building, and existing window to wall ratio.
"A lot of East Coast cities had done this as early as the 50s. And now because of some of the changes post-COVID, they're looking at it as an option," said Jennifer Ramsey, Adaptive Reuse Administrator. "There has been tremendous interest from the development community as a whole."
In 2019, CBS News Colorado visited the old Art Institute building at 1200 Lincoln Street. The Nichols Partnership purchased the building and converted it into micro-units.
They're now the Art Studios apartments and it's ready for residents to move in. The building received its certification of occupancy this week.
The repurposed apartments still keep the art culture alive with a Makers Room, a makerspace for photography, 3D printing, and crafting.
Samantha Johnston is the executive director and curator of Colorado Photographic Arts Center next door. She's glad to see old buildings find new life.
"It's really important to keep that history and keep those historical elements, but then also look at new growth and the excitement around that as well," said Johnston.
The city will use the study findings to inform next steps, which could include outreach to building owners. These units would have to comply with the Affordability Housing Act, which requires a portion of developments to be affordable.
"It's not necessarily faster or cheaper. But the benefit is that there's a sustainability component here. We are repurposing the building and not starting from scratch," said Ramsey.
The city has also launched an Adaptive Reuse Pilot Program in Upper Downtown.
The program will help support the conversion of commercial office space to multi-use residential space by providing a dedicated project coordinator to help applicants through the review and permitting process. Property owners can apply here.