Adaptive Use
Nine federal properties across the Southeast are under review as policymakers weigh consolidation, disposal, and adaptive reuse strategies to reduce costs and return underused buildings to local communities.
It’s not as if the old two-story building at the corner of 12th and Remington Court, in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, was ever particularly remarkable. Even in its original incarnation, it was a straightforward, utilitarian, mixed-use structure—competently built but not especially well-proportioned or ornately detailed.
A recent project in Seattle—Africatown Plaza—demonstrates the alchemy of community collaboration and a development team’s commitment to creating a neighborhood that can thrive. Much can be learned from how the team prioritized people in the process to make a people-centered place.this process
Steps from the Place de l’Europe in Paris, the French real estate company Covivio has recast a historic telephone exchange as its headquarters. Dubbed “L’Atelier,” the complex showcases the firm’s expertise, values, and culture; houses 250 Paris employees; and supports the company’s three business lines: office, hotel, and residential.
Once the heart of Kansas City’s Black commerce, arts and innovation, 18th & Vine gave rise to jazz legends like Charlie Parker and Count Basie, athletes like Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige, and institutions including America’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It was a district built from necessity, residents created their own economic and social ecosystem. Every storefront held rhythm and resilience.
Best practices for acquisition and redevelopment
New resilience framework touches on infrastructure, economy, equity, housing, and cultural vitality.
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An estimated 29 million people struggle to afford quality health care in the United States, with 11 percent of adults considered “cost desperate” and underserved in supply-constrained environments. To expand access and expedite health care to these communities, providers are converting vacant properties into much-needed outpatient facilities, tracking toward an estimated 10.6 percent growth rate over the next five years.
Although developers are skilled at building senior living communities that satisfy basic residential and health care needs, and that provide programs and amenities to cater to a variety of lifestyles, creating authentic, home-like environments that feel instantaneously familiar for this younger cohort is far more challenging. Such nuanced characteristics are distinctions in the market and can greatly ease the transition into senior living communities, not only for individuals, regardless of acuity level, but also for their families.
The new ULI report explores how developers can find both profit and purpose by embracing the potential of existing buildings, illustrated through three case studies that generated tangible value for communities and investors alike.
The transformation of Indianapolis’s historic Coca-Cola bottling plant into the Bottleworks District represents one of Indiana’s most ambitious adaptive use projects.
As we approach Election Day on November 5, issues such as the shortage of affordable housing and climate change are top of mind for many voters. When it comes to the cost of living, an unprecedented increase in home prices and surging rent are affecting both renters and homeowners. Adaptive reuse, particularly in urban areas, must be considered as a solution to mitigate these pressing matters, especially in an older city such as St. Louis, Missouri, which was founded in 1764.
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One of the many U.S. cities whose downtown office market has been negatively affected by the pandemic and the associated increase in remote work, the city of Chicago recently announced that it will offer $150 million in subsidies to real estate developers.
Aging railroad relic getting new life as a vibrant entertainment hub
Chicago tops the list of U.S. cities with the most adaptive-use apartment buildings, whereas New York City is home to the most converted apartment units in total.
Long-vacant and historic buildings are being repurposed in the Motor City, including a taxicab repair shop rejuvenated as Two James Spirits distillery and a former pawnshop renovated into a restaurant but keeping the former name, “Gold Cash Gold.”
Dating from the 1700s, the Boston-area Baker Chocolate Factory has been adapted for use as housing, including the conversion of three historic mills into a 143-unit residential complex.
As an architect, David Haresign estimates that almost half of his work has involved restoration or adaptive use. That includes converting a historic school into condos, an old department store warehouse into a speculative office building, and an airplane parts warehouse into an office building for America Online. A partner at Bonstra | Haresign Architects in Washington, D.C., and a ULI member, he shares some key lessons from his experience.
