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

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions