A new report from CBRE reveals that New York City is undergoing a dramatic surge in office-to-residential conversions, signaling a transformative shift in the city’s real estate landscape. The trend is particularly pronounced in Midtown Manhattan, where underperforming office buildings are being rapidly acquired and repurposed into residential properties.
According to the report, approximately 8.3 million square feet of office space is currently either under conversion or actively being planned for residential use–putting New York City at the forefront of this national trend. The conversion pipeline now stretches from Battery Park to Central Park, indicating widespread momentum across the borough.
Much of the current activity is concentrated in Midtown, which accounts for 60% of the square footage being converted. The median age of buildings undergoing transformation is 68 years, and notably, over half of the properties were originally built after 1961.
“While office-to-residential conversions won’t entirely solve the oversupply of office space in Manhattan, repositioning some of the city’s aging inventory can help modernize the remaining stock and make it more competitive,” said Doug Middleton, a senior executive at CBRE. “At the same time, this trend injects much-needed housing into the market and brings new life to traditionally business-only districts.”
CBRE’s analysis estimates that if all current, proposed, and rumored conversion projects proceed as planned, approximately 16.5 million square feet of office space would be removed from inventory–reducing Manhattan’s office availability rate by 200 basis points from its current level of 18%.
However, the report also highlights several challenges developers face, such as navigating long-term leases and pre-existing tenant agreements. Despite these obstacles, recent regulatory shifts are expected to further accelerate conversion activity. Notable among them are New York City’s “City of Yes” initiative and the pending Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, which aim to expand zoning flexibility and promote adaptive reuse.
“Manhattan’s office-to-residential conversion movement is about more than just repurposing space–it’s about reimagining the city,” Middleton added. “These projects breathe new life into aging infrastructure, create vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods, and support the city’s long-term housing goals.”
As New York continues to evolve post-pandemic, this wave of conversions may help shape a more resilient, livable, and balanced urban future.
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