Daily Herald opinion: ‘Zombie offices’give suburbs a chance to re-imagine the future
A zombie invasion after a pandemic sounds like a big-budget summer movie straight out of the mind of writers in Hollywood.
It turns out zombies did invade a number of suburbs after the pandemic. An invasion of “zombie offices” — empty office space that is on the books, but not being marketed — took root in the suburbs as more people started working from home more and demand for office space plummeted.
But as Daily Herald writer Eric Peterson’s story detailed Sunday, the region is starting to figure out how to repurpose buildings that are no longer desirable.
The possibility to remake parts of some suburbs is exciting and it’s something that we think communities should embrace with thoughtful planning. Around 17 million square feet of office space in the region qualifies as “zombie office” space. It’s a big reason why the region has a 24% office vacancy rate.
The good news is most of that space is concentrated in around 20% of suburban properties. When you take those properties out of the mix, the vacancy rate drops to 10%.
All that empty space means the suburbs have a chance to think big and chart a future course that is different from the developments of the past.
Right now, the solution is coming from both the private and public sector and we see signs that results will benefit the suburbs for generations to come.
Schaumburg, which has more office space than most suburbs, has taken an aggressive approach to getting “zombie space” off the books. The village has developed a three-year strategic plan that features parameters to assess office properties’ potential for repurposing.
The village is also already taking action. Schaumburg plans to buy a nearly vacant building near Woodfield Mall and use it as a temporary village hall before building a new police station on it. It also is waiting for a developer’s proposal to convert a 45-year-old office building near Woodfield into apartments.
Two older buildings, two very different purposes with outcomes that should benefit the village for decades.
Other towns are in the process of doing the same thing. Hoffman Estates is home to the poster child for “zombie office” space, the former Sears headquarters. Its 2.4 million square feet of office space is being razed to make way for a data center.
The good news for the suburbs is there is still demand for office space.
Landlords are finding that employers are looking for well-maintained buildings with amenities — also known as Class A buildings.
Wheels, Inc., is moving to empty space in Zurich North America’s headquarters in Schaumburg. Zurich needed less space after the pandemic and Wheels helped fill it. Everyone benefits.
Bell Works in Hoffman Estates also continues to attract new high-profile tenants.
“Zombie offices” represent a chance for the suburbs to re-imagine some vital spaces in the suburbs. We hope everyone comes together to the build something that will serve residents well for decades to come.