(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development launched the District’s new “Office to Anything” program, which will incentivize the repositioning of office space into new, activated commercial, hotel, entertainment, retail, and other non-residential purposes. The eligible area for Office to Anything is informed by the Office of Planning’s Central Washington Planning Area, which covers all Downtown DC and includes portions of NoMa and Southwest.
“We know that having a balanced mix of uses help make our neighborhoods, including our Downtown, more dynamic,” said Mayor Bowser. “Through Office to Anything, we will transform vacant and underutilized offices into new, productive uses that increase foot traffic, generate economic activity and tax revenue, and bring new vibrancy to DC’s commercial core.”
The Office to Anything program, officially known as the Central Washington Activation Projects Temporary Tax Abatement, will support the repositioning of outdated and obsolete office space into new retail spaces, hotels, world-class office space, restaurants, and other non-residential uses by offering a 15-year temporary property tax freeze. It is expected to support the conversion of 2 to 2.5 million square feet of office space. The program is competitive and the value of the total tax abatements available is subject to a cap of $5 million for 2027, $6 million for 2028, and $8 million for 2029, with 4% growth each year after.
“In 2024, we launched the Housing in Downtown program to convert obsolete office buildings into new housing. But residential conversions are not always viable for every building, and we therefore are encouraging other uses as well,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert. “The Office to Anything program will help ensure that Downtown DC remains the dynamic center of the region it has always been.”
The Office to Anything program is a direct complement to the District’s Housing in Downtown program, which is designed to catalyze new residential development and add thousands of new residents to Downtown through a 20-year tax abatement. The District estimates that the Mayor’s $41 million investment toward the Housing in Downtown program can help deliver 6.7 million square feet of new residential use, or approximately 8,400 new housing units. The program is adding affordable housing units to Downtown, as program participants are required to make at least 10% of units affordable at 60% of the Median Family Income (MFI), or 18% of units affordable at 80% MFI.
The Washington, DC Metro Region leads the nation in office-to-residential conversions, and the District is building on this momentum by also incentivizing non-residential uses through Office to Anything, ensuring Downtown remains a vibrant hub for work, play, and economic activity.
To learn more about the Office to Anything Program, visit dmped.dc.gov/page/office-anything-program.
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