Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Strawbalicious t1_ja87lz9 wrote

Reply to comment by pixel_of_moral_decay in Midtown Owners Hedge on Costly Office-to-Home Conversions by psychothumbs

I think the bigger issue more than leases, is building codes. In converting most office buildings into residences, you'd have a lot of rooms and even whole units without any windows on the inside of the building. The city would need to give special exception building permits to let that go through.

23

pixel_of_moral_decay t1_ja8iqw9 wrote

You can go for longer units. You can also do what has been done in other parts of the world and have commercial on the interior with its own elevators and walls separating. A doctors office or even retail on the same floor with separate elevators is totally possible.

This kind of stuff is already normal in parts of Asia. The US just has a fixation on residential being over anything else, not on the same level.

23

Dantheking94 t1_ja90hrd wrote

I completely agree! Longer units with maybe kitchens and bathrooms close to the interior and living rooms and bedrooms closer to the windows. They can also use the interior spaces for communal spaces like laundry, day care centers, gyms, small shops and stores etc. if they really wanted to make this work, they would. It takes some creativity and some time.

5

blackfire932 t1_ja93add wrote

This probably requires new permitting laws. I haven’t seen mixed-use floors for commercial and residential. Definitely have seen mixed use where the floor is all commercial or residential, but this would be problematic. At the end of the day zoning laws and associated costs are what limit development more than anything.

4

masahawk t1_ja880fc wrote

This is the Crux of it since every room needs a Windows for ventilation purposes. You can Malena windowless room but man that room will suck.

5