Downtowns are dead, dying or on life support, says expert with over 50 years of researching urban policy

return2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 404 points –
Downtowns are dead, dying or on life support, says expert with over 50 years of researching urban policy
fortune.com
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This is such bullshit. It doesn't cost millions of dollars to add new plumbing, HVAC, and interior walls.

Say you have an average size house, with a 2-car garage on the side. You decide to change that garage into a small apartment for renting. You need to add a wall or two, add insulation, build up a kitchen area (with proper water and power) and a bathroom.

Imagine how much that would cost you for that single apartment. Now multiply that by, say, 50, to convert a large office building into 50 residential rental units. Even with economies of scale, that's still going to cost millions...

Dude... you're arguing that it's better to tear down, and build from scratch then it is to retro fit. This is obvious bullshit. In your example it would be more practical to retro fit the garage then to tear it down, and build a new building. Like fuck man.

Actually it’s not bullshit. Most office buildings are designed with large core space where the elevators and stairs etc go. That’s not at all how apartment buildings are designed. Changing that is extremely expensive.