Pandemic offers chance to re-evaluate empty office spaces
As Albert Einstein stated, “In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.” So it may be with the COVID pandemic.
The pandemic has hit much of the retail industry hard, especially malls, along with other commercial and office buildings.
As consumers, employers and schools shifted their lives from “outside” to inside, the purpose of retail stores, office buildings and schools drastically changed within a short time. It remains to be seen if these buildings will ever resume the life they once had.
There are predictions that some companies will not return to their office buildings within the short term, if at all. Consumers have been migrating to online shopping for the last decade. The pandemic just accelerated this transition, leaving retail stores in a scramble to respond. And school districts are still debating how to safely resume education for students — whether to do full in-class education, continued home virtual learning or a hybrid of the two. Businesses have also considered similar approaches for their workforces.
Even airports are not exempt from disruption in their use. A recent New York Times article highlighted a need to re-evaluate the massive space built into modern airports, much of which does not permit social distancing.
Thus, there is the potential to have partially unused or fully emptied commercial office space in the Capital Region as well around the nation. This abrupt realignment of our relationship with brick-and-mortar space has provided us an opportunity to
explore alternative and new uses of such space. Rather than bemoan the demise of our former lives, perhaps it is time for a new vision for commercial square footage.
One approach would be to engage community conversations on how best to retrofit such unclaimed or unused space based on the desires and needs of the community. Such conversation could include leaders from the business, political, health, school, retail, and transportation sectors, as well as residents, students and other community members. Flexibility should be the cornerstone of these discussions. The pandemic has taught us that life can change on a dime, without advance warning. Grants could be explored to support the costs associated with the planning and organizing these community-wide meetings.
Ideas could be generated on how best to move forward on new uses before properties are abandoned and diminish the value of the larger community. Federal and local investment could be made in retraining the many people who have lost jobs or those who want to learn new skills and giving them work retooling and rehabilitating obsolete buildings. We’ll need people with skills in construction, engineering, planning, financial education, safety and so on. Partnerships with area colleges and universities could tap their content and expertise, as well as credit for those participating in skill development programs.
It is time to be visionary and explore the opportunities.