How DC turns empty office buildings into apartments

There has been more empty office space in downtown D.C. ever since the pandemic hit, and the city is now turning some of those unused properties into new apartment buildings.

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DC is turning empty offices into apartments

There has been more empty office space in Downtown D.C. than ever since the pandemic hit, and the city is now turning some of those unused properties into new apartment buildings.

According to Mayor Muriel Bowser, 12 former office buildings are being turned into apartments, which should deliver more than 2,300 housing units.

The first such building — called the Elle apartments — just opened at 20th and L streets in Northwest with 163 units.

“You don’t think you’re walking around in a converted office because it really has its own identity,” said Thomas Danielewski, who moved into the building this week.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” Danielewski said. “It is the first of its kind in this area.”

The makeup of Downtown D.C. properties is about 90% commercial to 10% residential, according to Bowser, who said the city aims to make that more balanced by incentivizing the transformation of vacant office buildings.