D.C. leads the pack turning old offices into new apartments, a growing trend across the U.S.

Why it matters: Converting offices is easier said than done, but cities and developers see it as one of the best ways to reduce vacancies while adding housing.

The big picture: D.C. plans to convert 3.2 million square feet of "obsolete office space" into roughly 3,400 residential units. Six of those projects are currently underway, per figures downtown BID shared with Axios.

• It's all part of Mayor Muriel Bowser's plan to attract 15,000 new residents downtown by 2028.

Reality check: These projects hit major roadblocks back in 2023 due to construction costs and near-impossible financing.

Now, "there are more conversions announced or under construction than ever before," thanks to district incentives, aging supply ready for upgrades and high D.C. rents, downtown BID says.

Zoom out: Developers nationwide completed less than 7% of office-to-apartment units in 2024, pushing most into 2025, according to a recent RentCafe report.

• Meanwhile, thousands of new conversions have been proposed.

What we're watching: While President Trump is calling federal workers back to the office, he's also calling to downsize the government's footprint. If Trump the developer makes that happen, we could see even more former office spaces up for grabs in D.C.

Share this story

Six office-to-apartment conversion projects are underway in D.C., some of which are in former federal office buildings.

• This is especially timely, given the discussion around what will be done with federal office buildings under Trump.

Here's a quick look at a few of the projects:

🏗 The former DOJ building is being turned into a 243-unit luxury residential community called Accolade.

• Similarly, the former DOH office will be converted into 264 condos with a rooftop pool.

🏗 Former office buildings at 2121 Ward Place will soon become a 48-unit apartment building. As part of the overhaul, developer ONE Street Commercial Properties plans to convert an alleyway into a pedestrian-friendly walkway, UrbanTurf reports.

🏗 Post Brothers is behind one of the largest conversion projects just north of Dupont Circle. They plan to convert Universal North and South buildings into 600 units, according to WBJ.

In a future newsletter, we'll dive into differences between new builds and existing homes.

• So, homeowners, did you buy a new build or an existing home? Why? Was the age of the home important to you?
• And if you're on the hunt, do you have a preference between the two? Why or why not? What are your must haves?