How Adaptive Reuse Can Help with Housing and Economic Growth by Logan Haller
How Adaptive Reuse Can Help with Housing and Economic Growth
by Logan Haller
Today we are faced with a need for more housing in our communities. One way we can achieve this goal is to reuse older buildings and put them back to use. “Adaptive Reuse”hasmany benefits for a community including: “preserving the past,” saving time and money,encouraging more investment back into the community and providing a better market for a sustainable community. When buildings go unused they sit and contract contaminants as well as lower the value of the area and do not provide any profit for the community. Historic preservation of older buildings while adapting them for a new use is a great way to foster growthin a community through increasing tourism and creating a more lively community. Turning historic buildings to residential allows the building to be put to use while also benefitting the current needs of the community by increasing the homes available to them. There are many examples of this happening throughout the United States. For example, in Massachusetts a courthouse in Worcester from 1845 was renovated to now have 118 units. In addition, this complex has a range of pricing units so it is more affordable for the community. Another example is located in Georgetown, Virginia where “The Colonial” was originally a “seminary for women” then a hospital for “Union soldiers” after the “Battler of the Bull Run in 1865.” Today it has been converted to residential use consisting of 18 condos of one to three bed units. Now instead of having an empty building they will have a residential community that will bring more revenue to the area and encourage future growth.
You can also use historic building for other purposes besides residential such as new work spaces. This is generally more appealing to a younger business opposed to a more established business. The new workspaces can be “16 percent” cheaper than other forms of construction and adapting old buildings fosters creativity and supports a community workforcewhich many young workers seek. One specific example of this is the Bumblebee headquarters in San Diego, California which previously was a candy factory. Here, they wanted an open floorplan with the main desks in the center of the space promoting the culture of the company and they repurposed “former tuna production equipment” for “custom furniture and lighting.”
Another way this can be implemented today is using older office space for residential use. We have seen a shift away from commercial office leasing leaving buildings or floors vacant andnot producing any cash flow. One way to change this is to reuse these previously commercial buildings now for residential buildings. This benefits the community by providing more affordable housing in areas that need it as well as putting the buildings back to use and generating profit. This has already been done in Massachusetts where “The Central Building” was previously a“105,000-square-foot structure ”used for offices that was converted to aresidential building. The building now consists of 55 mixed-income units that give its residentsoptions in size. In addition, the lower level serves as retail promoting a more walkable and livable community with stores right below.
Potential problems can arise when trying to reuse former commercial buildings due to zoning. Sometimes the industrial areas in which the commercial offices are located are not zoned for residential use. Property owners can try to obtain a variance but that can come with difficulties having to provide “proof of hardship.” Professor Sara Bronin from the University of Connecticut School of Law says that zoning will probably be “reexamined in the post-COVID era to see whether it has unintentional consequences” making it difficult to “adapt flexibly” as society and demographics change, and suggests creating options for “more flexible zoning.”
Overall, by putting historic buildings back to use or using vacant commercial buildings for residential uses can significantly benefit the community. By providing additional housing andbringing people closer together, it fosters a more sustainable city and boosts the economic market in the area.
[Photo: Townsend Visuals]