The office buildings had developed sick building syndrome over time, and people who used them suffered from upper respiratory issues due to inoperable windows and a closed air conditioning system that spread germs and harmful compounds like formaldahyde. In 2010, another developer, Urban Atlantic (UA), hired W+A to redesign two two 12-story office towers previously owned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The old EPA headquarters became mixed-income housing Such a successful and significant victory for affordable housing would have been impossible if MCCH had had to buy vacant land and resort to new construction. The inside of one of Cordell Place's apartments. Image by used with permission. All the while, as the building was gutted and 32 new very affordable units went in, almost no one in the neighborhood was aware of the significant change taking place because of extra efforts not to be disruptive. But the layout translated extremely well to supportive housing needs, and punched windows bring sunlight into the units and the two end facades provide large community gathering and support space.Īlso, the ground floor retail was revitalized and returned to its original retail use. The building footprint was narrow and backed against a larger existing structure, making it unlikely that it would be redeveloped into more modern offices. "Before" image by Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners, "After" by. Today, the building is called Cordell Place.Ĭordell Place, before and after. This is typically unachievable in a downtown area, but by renovating this property the agency was able to do so- a coup for the county and its residents. MCCH’s goal was to provide supportive housing for the homeless (providing housing and support services to homeless individuals and having them pay 30% of their income) in downtown Bethesda. The building, which also had ground floor retail, was vacant, and many would call it an eyesore. In 2008, the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) took advantage of recent legislation that allowed it to easily purchase and repurpose a former office building on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda. One former office building in Bethesda was converted into housing for the homeless And in fact, my firm, Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners (W+A), has worked with several forward-thinking development teams to do so. Large, empty commercial buildings present ready opportunities to build mixed-income housing. These properties are also often the same cost, if not lower, than existing deteriorated multi-family properties. These properties, though not downtown, are still within walking distance of amenities and transportation. There is, however, another phenomenon that's happening as a result of thriving regional core: a number of older commercial buildings, where office development isn't quite as desirable, are going unused. And while policies like inclusionary zoning have made some headway in providing incentives for building housing that's affordable, the demand for these units is likely to remain far ahead of the supply. Those who can't afford them often wind up farther away from transportation and employment opportunities. One out-of-the-box solution to the problem is to turn old office and commercial spaces into housing.Īs development booms, rents in existing multi-family housing stock continue to rise. It's no secret that throughout the region, it's becoming harder and harder to find housing that's affordable. Image by Eric Taylor, used with permission. These buildings used to be EPA offices, but now they're apartments.
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