Housing Opportunity: Office to Residential Conversion in New York City

The COVID-19 pandemic radically transformed daily life, and many office buildings in our business districts still find themselves underused in 2023. This cultural shift towards remote work has left many to wonder how to reactivate not only these buildings, but their neighborhoods and economies. This combined with our ever-growing need for housing in NYC has led many planners, architects, landlords, and policy makers to imagine ways in which to transform these commercial office buildings for residential use. This conference looks at the opportunities and challenges related to such conversions, and features panels addressing the many aspects that help make such conversion possible. Panel topics span regulations, policies, and financing, and will explore the implementation—and ultimate impact–such change would make on both neighborhoods and regions.

The conference is a public event intended for a wide range of stakeholders including academics, developers, architects, planners, government officials, and community members. 

Program:
8:45 AM - Arrival and Coffee

9:00 AM - Introductions 

9:15 AM - Keynote 
Carol Willis, Founder and Director, Skyscraper Museum; Adjunct Associate Professor of Architecture, Columbia GSAPP

9:45 AM - Presentation 1: Lessons from 421-g
Sean Campion, Director of Housing and Economic Development Studies, Citizens Budget Commission

10:00 AM - Panel 1: Impacts on New York City and the Region
Kate Collignon, Managing Partner, HR&A Advisors
Robert Holbrook, Executive Director, Get Stuff Built, Office of the Mayor of New York City
Layla Law-Gisiko, Chair, Manhattan Community Board 5 Land Use, Housing and Zoning Committee 
Mark Levine, Borough President, Borough of Manhattan
John Mangin, Senior Counsel, NYC Department of City Planning; Adjunct Assistant Professor, NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

11:15 AM - Presentation 2: The White House Action on Commercial-to-Residential Conversions
Vincent Reina, PhD, MBA, Senior Policy Advisor on Housing, The White House; Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design 

11:30 AM - Panel 2: Funding Opportunities
Peter Beck, Managing Director, Affordable Housing, Forsyth Street
Brian Loughlin, AIA, APA, Principal, Magunsson Architecture and Planning PC; Co-Chair, AIA New York Housing Committee
Jolie Milstein, President & CEO, New York State Association for Affordable Housing
Kera Package, Chief of Staff, Office of Community Planning and Development, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

12:45 PM - Lunch Break

1:45 PM - Presentation 3: Assessing Viable Properties for Conversion
Robert Fuller, AIA, LEED AP, Studio Director, Principal, Gensler

2:00 PM - Panel 3: Zoning and Implementation
Nathan Berman, Founder, MetroLoft
John Cetra, FAIA, Co-Founder, CetraRuddy
James P. Colgate, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Basha Gerhards, Senior Vice President of Planning, Real Estate Board of New York
David West, FAIA, Founding Partner, Hill West Architects

3:30 PM - Presentation 4: Reimagining a Midtown Office Building as Housing 
Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, Principal, Architecture Research Office (ARO)

3:45 PM - Panel 4: The Future of Office to Residential Conversions in New York
Daniel R. Garodnick, Chair, New York City Planning Commission; Director, New York City Department of City Planning
AJ Pires, AIA, President, Alloy Development

This event is offered in person and virtually. If you register for a virtual ticket, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.