Since so many cities have business districts full of huge office buildings, I wonder if it’s possible to repurpose them. If not, corporations are likely to find a way to pass the costs of maintenance and demolition to those municipalities (and taxpayers who live there). This has been in the back of my mind since that Oprah special on AI:
Even though the “experts” claim mass job loss in multiple industries is at least 10 years away, articles like this show we need strategies ASAP. If they are truly unsuitable for housing, what could be done with those buildings that might benefit the public?
Office buildings are quite a bit of work to convert to residential housing. Even if you get the correct number of fire exits and staircases and air ventilation and emergency evacuation flow, the re-developer still has to deal with building codes requiring daylighting into residential spaces because people tend to go a bit crazy in housing with no windows to the outside, even if the windows are not operable. There are plenty of Youtube videos by architects, real estate developers, urban planners and more. This one is probably too succinct but fwiw:
In Austin, one got repurposed as an entire community college campus.
Even if such solutions boil down to “it just takes time and money,” there are excellent social justice arguments to be made re: unhoused people living rough and empty office buildings.
Unfortunately, most corporations and entities that own office buildings are driven by profit and money, so having their unoccupied assets stay unoccupied, depreciating quietly yet effectively, sometimes pays better than any other scenario.
I like the campus idea! The thought of having large groups of people living above the 7-story level makes me nervous. The models for a few live / work apartment plans in my area have common areas at the top (rooftop / outdoor space), indoor entertainment space below that, followed by flex office space. Shops are at ground level and the second floor. Apartments, child care, elder care, and healthcare are located in the middle.
With all the glass involved, some skyscrapers have me wondering about the potential for urban agriculture vertical farming or energy production:
I used to work at the Renaissance Center, and I got lost in there all the time. I’d be late getting back from lunch, and errands on whomst my bosses sent me would sometimes take 3X as long as what they should have done, b/c where the fuck am I?!
People would notice my name tag, and ask, “How do I get to…” I’d stop them and tell them where to find the nearest information desk, or point out a security guard. When I’d explain that I got lost, they’d grin and thank me.
The interior was even redone, but it was still imposs to find anything.
It astonishes me that there have been so many vox pop innerviews w/Detroiters who don’t want it torn down, and are actually emotional about it. None of them has ever set foot inside that monstrosity, I’d wager, because anyone who’s been lost in there would want it gone.
Tsk tsk tsk. That room doesn’t deserve to be used for storage! I hope the current owners have done something better with it.
15410 Windmill Pointe Dr, Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230 | realtor.com®
7 bedrooms, 6.5+ bath, 9600 square feet, 1.36acre lot, built 1923, last sold for $2.5M
The # of bedrooms isn’t mentioned there, but another realty site says there are 7. There are no details, doubtless b/c it’s not for sale. It’s right on Lake St Clair.
Went to a high school party here in the early 80s. A friend and I walked almost 3.25 miles in winter to get there. We weren’t very cold, though - we’d eaten mescaline. It was a great party, and well worth that long walk. When everyone found out we’d walked all the way from the Punch [& Judy Theatre - a wonderful art house film theatre], they were shocked, and spoiled us rotten. We got seats in the warmest places, and friends brought us food and drink. We should have asked for a pot of tea!
Our host arranged a ride home for us, from a reliable friend.
The party was in the basement and on the back patio, and we were essentially herded straight through to the kitchen & down the stairs. My friend and I consequently didn’t see much of the house, but what we did see was mindblowing.
There are 30 pics on the webpage, and realty sites do not commonly keep more than one or two for properties which are not for sale.
Edited for a tyop, and added further details
It’s obviously good to know exactly went wrong, but not surprising that good old negligence is to blame, seems to be omnipresent recently.
I think I’ve read somewhere that the original design life was supposed to be ~20 years.
And the climate is pretty humid and salty.
But yeah, budgeting for long term maintenance…
