Can Vacant Offices Become Housing?
What to Consider When Turning Empty Portland Offices into Actual Places Humans Want to Live:
Downtown Portland has more empty office space than a Monday morning team call on Zoom. Remote work, hybrid schedules, and a general preference for sweatpants over slacks have left a ton of square footage sitting idle.
Meanwhile, we’re still facing an ongoing housing shortage especially for people who want to live near transit, restaurants, coffee shops, and other humans.
So the idea seems obvious:
If no one wants to work in downtown office buildings… maybe they’ll live in them instead?
It’s a great theory but as developers have quickly learned, some buildings are more “future apartments” and others are more “future nightmares.” Here’s what makes or breaks an office-to-residential conversion in Portland:
Building Shape: Do the Apartments Even Get Windows?
People love natural light. Also, Oregon building code insists residents see the sun at least occasionally.
Condo buyers generally prefer units where their living room doesn’t resemble the middle seat on a redeye. The best buildings have:
Shallow floorplates (<60 ft deep)
Lots of windows
Operable glass, not “sealed for eternity” skyscraper style
Pro tip: If the floor was designed for 100 cubicles and zero bedrooms, that’s a clue.
Seismic Upgrades: Because Earthquakes Are Real
Older Portland buildings often need major seismic retrofits. These aren’t just “tighten a few screws” situations, more like:
“Let’s rebuild the spine of this entire structure and hope it behaves during The Big One.”
Great for safety. Rough for budgets.
Plumbing, HVAC & Electrical: The Big $$$ Pit
Offices are built for: A few break rooms, one bathroom per 20 people, not 200 showers, dishwashers, and laundry machines.
By the time you’re running new plumbing stacks everywhere and adding HVAC units to each unit, you start thinking:
“Maybe cubicles weren’t so bad after all…”
It’s not unusual for MEP upgrades to make up 40%+ of project costs.
Fire & Egress Codes: “Everyone Must Escape”
Housing requires different fire safety and evacuation routes. Some buildings need:
New stairwells
Wider corridors
Sprinkler system upgrades
Exit pathways
Zoning, Permits & The Fine Print
The good news: Portland actually wants these conversions (yay!).
Incentives might include:
Tax breaks
Faster permitting
Reduced development fees
But…there’s still red tape. (Because: government.)
Who’s Actually Moving In?
Developers must figure out:
Apartments or condos?
Affordable or luxury?
Micro-units for students?
Or bigger units for people who own full-size couches?
Hint: “Amenity spaces” help. Rooftop decks, gyms, and coworking areas say:
“This building used to be depressing, but now look — plants!”
The Hard Truth: The Math Must Pencil
Conversions typically cost:
$250–$450+ per square foot
Cheaper than ground-up in the core — but still pricey.
Creative financing and city support often make the difference between new housing, or a beautiful but permanently vacant tower
The Big Win: A Downtown Where People Actually Live
Office-to-residential conversions could help Portland:
Add housing
Bring customers back to shops & restaurants
Make streets feel safer
Revitalize the urban energy we all miss
It’s not the silver bullet, but it’s a really shiny, promising one.