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July 31, 2026

Opinion: Office conversions require more structural scrutiny

  • With Los Angeles office vacancy at 25.6% and citywide adaptive reuse rules that could unlock more than 43,000 homes, a Los Angeles engineering firm warns preliminary structural due diligence must happen before major financing, design and entitlements
    • By KYLE TOURJÉ
    Alpha Structural

    Two steel columns buckled on the 21st floor of a 37-story Manhattan office tower undergoing conversion into apartments on Jul. 7. Cracks prompted officials to evacuate the site and nearby buildings. The cause at the former Pfizer headquarters remains under investigation, but the incident has sharpened a question for California developers: What must be verified before an aging commercial building can be safely and economically converted into housing?

    That discussion is especially timely in Los Angeles. The Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance took effect Feb. 1, extending streamlined conversion rules to commercial buildings at least 15 years old, and qualifying parking structures at least five years old.


     
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