[T.B. Yoits]

I’ve heard that a lot of abandoned office buildings could be turned into condos. But then some say the retrofitting of plumbing and electrical to turn offices into condos is too costly, and not too many buildings will be converted.

Office buildings are not designed to handle the electrical load of households: Washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, stoves, and microwaves draw far more electricity than a typical office.

Plumbing is another issue. Baths, showers, laundry, and toilet use in a home also far exceeds the water use in an office.

Most office workers use the elevators once a day, or twice if they leave for lunch or meetings, and you can pack travelers in to handbag or briefcase distance. Condo owners, especially with children and/or pets would use the elevators far more frequently and often take larger personal items with them.

[Elsie]

I guess we just can’t PACK the people into these buildings.

How many families (4-5 people) would fit (2,000 sq ft house) on one floor of a office building?

I think there would be FAR lass people per floor than now.

How big is a cubicle and 1 person is in it.

[cgbg]

“Condo owners, especially with children and/or pets would use the elevators far more frequently and often take larger personal items with them.”

Excellent point about the elevators—in older big cities there are lots of stories about broken elevators in residential buildings.

The slumlords take their sweet time repairing them because they know they will just fail again—and a complete elevator renovation makes no economic sense.