Commission backs adaptive-reuse language to help convert downtown offices to housing

The commission voted May 17 to support an ordinance that amends planning and building codes to facilitate commercial-to-residential conversions downtown and to enable an adaptive-reuse manual or administrative bulletin outlining equivalencies and technical standards.

Jacob Bedliff of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development said the change is part of the mayor’s downtown roadmap to encourage reuse and diversify allowable uses in C zoning districts. The ordinance would allow certain projects to remain within existing zoning envelopes and, in planning code language, permit up to a 33% increase in building mass for eligible adaptive-reuse projects. The building-code language would direct DBI and fire staff to develop an alternative building-standards manual to specify appropriate equivalencies for adaptive-reuse projects.

The Code Advisory Committee reported multiple motions and cautioned against relaxing seismic triggers for major renovations; it recommended using the state California Historic Building Code and ASCE 41 equivalency methods where applicable, suggested training workshops for smaller firms, and urged against rolling back safety requirements. Commissioners generally supported moving the ordinance forward with CAC recommendations and asked staff to assemble practical guidance, example projects and training to help applicants assess viability.