The COVID-19 pandemic has had a harmful impact on commercial vacancies, particularly in major urban centres. Office towers were emptied out. And, given the benefits of working remotely, they may remain partially vacant once the crisis has passed. Hotels have seen a strong drop in clientele following the closing of borders. Even if the tourist sector regains its strength in the coming years, it’s possible that a portion of business travel will be abandoned in favour of video calls or virtual conferences.
Instead of leaving buildings vacant, a new function can be found for them without necessarily needing to rebuild everything. Here are a few options to give a second life to commercial building.
Reusing vacant space – in particular for housing – brings several advantages. It limits urban sprawl while revitalizing districts in decline. It’s also a positive action for the environment since it is more sustainable to extend the life of an existing building than to demolish everything and build anew… or somewhere else. All you need to do is find the right use for each type of property.
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