An Abandoned Downtown Equals a Pot of Gold?

Not everyone who left the office for remote work returned after the pandemic lockdown ended. Many employees stayed remote, and, in doing so, they left behind a swath of empty office buildings in downtowns across North America. Developers see these abandoned places as easy cash, that is, if you can find the right sort of abandoned office space. On this episode of Upzoned, urban developer Andrew Ganahl talks with host Abby Kinney about the challenges of this pattern of growth, but also the good that could come out of it.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• “The developers who see dollar signs in abandoned downtowns,” by Alex Mayyasi, The Hustle (April 2023).

• Andrew Ganahl (Twitter).

• Abby Kinney (Twitter).

• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.