Downtown LA Office Space to Be Converted into Housing Units
Los Angeles Mayor Unveils Affordable Housing Project at World Trade Center
Mayor Karen Bass visited the World Trade Center in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, announcing its transformation into a 512-unit affordable housing complex. This redevelopment is made possible by the city’s adaptive reuse ordinance, which facilitates converting existing structures into residential spaces.
Originally adopted in 1999, the ordinance had been limited to buildings in or near downtown. However, earlier this year, Bass extended its applicability citywide, broadening the scope for adapting more buildings into housing units.
The revised ordinance streamlines the approval process for converting buildings aged 15 years or older into residential spaces, thereby expanding the incentive area throughout the city. The mayor’s office estimates that this initiative could generate more than 43,000 additional housing units.
“These projects represent the kind of innovation we are applying to break away from the status quo that has stunted L.A.’s housing production and driven up rents for decades,” Bass said in a statement. She emphasized that shifts toward remote work have created an abundance of office space that can be repurposed for housing. “For too long, outdated city regulations stood in the way. We’re now unlocking tens of thousands of housing units to conversion, which can be much faster and cost-effective than new construction,” she added.
Bass was accompanied by notable figures in the housing and business sectors, including Jamison Properties President Garrett Lee, Central City Association President/CEO Nella McOsker, and Gilmore Associates Managing Partner Tim Gilmore, reflecting a broad coalition in support of the initiative.
