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DC's Mayor Bowser: Turning Empty Offices into Business Boom!

Washington, USAThursday, January 16, 2025

Washington DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser has unveiled a new plan to tackle the city's empty office problem. With many workers still remote post-pandemic, downtown businesses are struggling. Bowser's "Office to Anything" program offers a 15-year property tax freeze for offices that transform into retail spaces, hotels, or restaurants.

"A mix of uses makes our neighborhoods dynamic, " Bowser explains. The plan aims to convert 2 to 2. 5 million square feet of vacant office space. This isn't the district's first attempt at conversion; another program offers tax abatement for turning offices into homes. Last year, a downtown office building was successfully converted into residences. But the city also hopes to see more federal employees back at work, which could boost the local economy and transit system. Bowser's administration has been pushing for this, echoing the incoming Trump administration's stance.

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