Faced with commercial vacancies around 11 percent and the prospect of new office supply coming online soon, D.C. stakeholders are pushing for a bill that would provide incentives for conversions of office buildings into residential units.

Adaptive reuse—converting commercial buildings into residential uses—has spurred investment and the rebirth of downtown neighborhoods in cities like Los Angeles, Baltimore, and New York City. If new legislation under consideration by the Washington D.C. District Council is approved, the nation's capital could see a wave of conversions as well.
"To encourage conversions in the nation’s capital, where the office vacancy rate is around 11.4 percent, the district’s Council members are considering legislation to provide a tax abatement of up to $20 per square feet for 10 years, capped at $5 million a year," reports Eugene L. Meyer. The legislation has support from the DowntownDC and Golden Triangle business improvement districts.
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District released the "Downtown 2027: Vision for the Future" [pdf] report recently, which included an estimate that "new market-rate residences would be worth $600 a square foot, compared with empty office space valued at $450 a square foot." That additional value would more than pay for the cost of the tax abatements to jump start the conversions.
According to Meyer, the legislation isn't a sure thing. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has expressed some reservations, namely questions about whether the conversations could generate revenue for affordable housing, and how much.
One curious anecdote from the article reporting on the pending legislation must also be noted. Meyer quotes Jack Evans, a Democratic member of the Council and the bill’s sponsor, in the article using the term "Manhattanizing" as a positive. That might be a first.
FULL STORY: A Push to Make Washington’s Downtown More Livable

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie