{"id":107868,"date":"2020-09-30T00:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=107868"},"modified":"2026-04-17T01:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:32:12","slug":"yesterdays-factories-todays-apartments-70-years-of-building-conversions-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/rental-market\/market-snapshots\/yesterdays-factories-todays-apartments-70-years-of-building-conversions-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Yesterday\u2019s Factories, Today&#8217;s Apartments: Adaptive Reuse Projects at All-Time High in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><em><strong>Highlights:<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em>In the last 70 years, almost 2,000 old buildings were converted into apartments, including around 800 in the last decade alone \u2014 an all-time high.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Chicago tops the list with the most adaptive reuse projects, while New York City leads with the most converted apartments.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Factories are the all-time most popular building type to be converted into rentals, but office-to-apartment conversions were the most common in the 2010s.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In the heart of quaint <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/simpsonville-sc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Simpsonville, SC<\/a> lies an old cotton mill built at the turn of the last century. The mill now goes by the telling name of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments\/sc\/simpsonville\/cotton-mill\/default.aspx\">Cotton Mill Apartments<\/a> and it&#8217;s one of the many vintage, repurposed buildings in the U.S. that has been given a new life through adaptive reuse. Going beyond renovation and stepping into adaptive reuse territory, residential conversions like Cotton Mill have become increasingly popular.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. has its fair share of beautiful old buildings \u2014 many of them historical \u2014 that are often underused or even abandoned. But, through adaptive reuse, they can become repurposed buildings, converted for residential use. This trend took off in the last decade, when 778 old buildings were transitioned into apartment communities. In total, 1,876 such buildings have been converted into apartments since the 1950s. From abandoned dispensaries to vintage gramophone factories, we dug into Yardi Matrix data to uncover where these adaptive reuse projects are most common, and what they used to be in their past lives.<\/p>\n<div class=\"infogram-embed\" data-id=\"51a3d04d-9972-4039-9dc4-e89c9dcd03c6\" data-type=\"interactive\" data-title=\"adaptive-reuse-by-decade\"><\/div>\n<p><script>!function(e,i,n,s){var t=\"InfogramEmbeds\",d=e.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement(\"script\");o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/js\/dist\/embed-loader-min.js\",d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,\"infogram-async\");<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Adaptive Reuse Projects Reach All-Time High in the 2010s<\/h2>\n<p>Compared to the 1950s, when repurposed buildings were extremely rare, the 2010s saw 55 times more old buildings converted to apartment communities. That\u2019s a leap from just 14 projects in the \u201950s to 778 conversions last decade \u2014 a number that has been increasing rapidly, especially since the 1990s. The same upward trend is confirmed by the number of apartments in repurposed buildings \u2014 from about 2,000 rental units in the \u201950s to almost 97,000 units opened in converted structures last decade. In total, there are now more than 240,000 apartments for rent in large repurposed buildings in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Along with changing economic needs and trends, the types of buildings turned into apartments have also changed over time. For instance, from the \u201950s through the \u201990s, hotels were the most common type of building to be converted into apartments. Then, in the 2000s, it was mostly factories that became apartments. Finally, in the 2010s, offices were the most common structures to be turned into rentals.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108405 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chesapeake-Commons-text.jpg\" alt=\"repurposing old buildings\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chesapeake-Commons-text.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chesapeake-Commons-text.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chesapeake-Commons-text.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chesapeake-Commons-text.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><em>Image courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chesapeakecommons.com\/\">Chesapeake Commons<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in 2017 alone, 119 apartment buildings came to life from repurposing old buildings \u2014 the highest annual number ever. This was also the year that the former School for Creative and Performing Arts in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/cincinnati-oh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cincinnati, OH<\/a>, was the subject of an adaptive reuse project. The old school turned into apartments is now called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coreredevelopment.com\/alumni-lofts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alumni Lofts<\/a>, and you can still see the original school chalkboards, marble staircases and mosaic tile in the hallway.<\/p>\n<h3>65% of converted buildings aimed at middle- &amp; lower-income renters<\/h3>\n<p>A large share of the repurposed buildings (65%) is on the affordable side. Specifically, as many as 42% of conversions are oriented toward low-income renters, while 23% are accessible to middle-income residents.<\/p>\n<p>In these last decades, all kinds of buildings have been transformed into affordable rentals \u2014 from offices and banks to churches and old warehouses. But, out of every building type that has been adapted over the years, former hotels made up the largest share of affordable apartments (86%), right up there with converted school buildings.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, of all the repurposed buildings originally serving the healthcare industry \u2014 such as hospitals, clinics and dispensaries \u2014 79% are affordable. One example is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homeleasing.net\/eastman-gardens\">Eastman Gardens<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/rochester-ny\/\">Rochester, N.Y.<\/a>,\u00a0 previously known as The Eastman Dental Dispensary when it was built in 1917. The building was left vacant for years, but now tenants can enjoy the replicated murals and crafty woodwork in one of Rochester\u2019s most beautifully restored buildings serving as an affordable senior living apartment community.<\/p>\n<h3>Chicago boasts the highest number of repurposed buildings<\/h3>\n<p>In terms of repurposed apartment buildings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/chicago-il\/\">Chicago<\/a> holds the top spot nationally with 91 (<strong>see these projects mapped <a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/views\/70YearsofAdaptiveReuseProjectsinChicago\/Chicago?:language=en&amp;:display_count=y&amp;:origin=viz_share_link\">here<\/a><\/strong>). Among them are historical staples like the Victorian-era <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bjbproperties.com\/east-lakeview-apartments\/2828-n-Pinegrove\/\">Pine Grove Manor<\/a> or the classically revived <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments\/il\/chicago\/the-flamingo-apartments\/default.aspx\">The Flamingo<\/a> by Lake Michigan, both of which were previously hotels. In second place is Philadelphia, ahead of both LA and NYC. In fact, The Birthplace of America abounds in historic buildings, 85 of which have been converted into apartment complexes (<strong>see these projects mapped <a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/views\/PhiladelphiasAdaptiveReuseApartmentBuildingsMapped\/Philadelphia?:language=en&amp;:display_count=y&amp;:origin=viz_share_link\">here<\/a><\/strong>). These include the history-heavy <a href=\"https:\/\/brandywinecm.com\/apartments\/property\/?pid=24\">Sugar Refinery Apartments<\/a> building, which was originally built in 1792 and is now a perfect example of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/home-and-garden\/interior-design\/revolutionize-your-apartment-with-these-industrial-style-tips\/\">industrial-chic design<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-379\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-379\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">City<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Converted Buildings<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Apartments Created<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Top Building Type<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Chicago, IL<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">91<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">14,167<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Philadelphia, PA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">85<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">11,266<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Los Angeles, CA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">74<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">10,569<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">New York, NY<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">73<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">18,488<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">St. Louis, MO<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">62<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7,197<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Baltimore, MD<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">47<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">6,503<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Richmond, VA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">43<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5,625<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Kansas City, MO<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">43<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5,305<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">San Francisco, CA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">40<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4,912<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cleveland, OH<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">36<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5,356<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-12\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Milwaukee, WI<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">36<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3,262<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-13\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Minneapolis, MN<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">27<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3,514<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Warehouse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-14\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Detroit, MI<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">27<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,908<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-15\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Dallas, TX<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">27<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4,797<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-16\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Portland, OR<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">26<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,309<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-17\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Pittsburgh, PA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">26<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3,792<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-18\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Seattle, WA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">25<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,759<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-19\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Washington, D.C.<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">24<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4,659<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-20\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">New Orleans, LA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">24<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,934<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-21\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Indianapolis, IN<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">22<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,476<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">School<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-22\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">St. Paul, MN<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">19<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,570<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-23\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Cincinnati, OH<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">18<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,102<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-24\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Boston, MA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">16<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,444<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-25\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Denver, CO<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">16<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,852<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Hotel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-26\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Louisville, KY<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">16<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,811<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">School<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-27\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Des Moines, IA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,365<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-28\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Atlanta, GA<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,513<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-29\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Buffalo, NY<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,254<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-30\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Providence, RI<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">15<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,863<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Factory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-31\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Hartford, CT<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">14<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">1,988<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>Cultural hubs LA and NYC are practically tied in third and fourth place, with 74 and 73 conversions each, respectively. In these cross-country metros, iconic repurposed structures like LA\u2019s 1889 Boyle Hotel represents the city\u2019s turn-of-the-century transition, while NYC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westbeth.org\/\">Westbeth Artists&#8217; Housing<\/a> has been a symbol for supporting struggling artists for almost two centuries.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, former 19th-century hospital St. Vincent, which was turned into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.castlepark.monroegroup.com\/\">Castle Park Apartments<\/a>, is just one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/saint-louis-mo\/\">St. Louis<\/a>\u2019 62 repurposed buildings. Still flaunting its renaissance revival towers, the massive building is truly worthy of its new name.<\/p>\n<p>Conversions have reshaped and beautified neighborhoods in historic areas as well as in industrial hubs. New York City surpasses all other cities in terms of the <strong>highest number of apartments<\/strong> created through adaptive reuse \u2014 close to 18,500 (<strong>see all projects mapped <a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/views\/NewYork_16007764330380\/NewYork?:language=en&amp;:display_count=y&amp;publish=yes&amp;:origin=viz_share_link\">here<\/a><\/strong>). Next in line are Chicago (14,167), Philadelphia (11,266), Los Angeles (10,569) and St. Louis, MO with more than 7,000.<\/p>\n<p>The top 10 cities with the most repurposed buildings is completed by cities like: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/baltimore-city-md\/\">Baltimore, MD<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/richmond-va\/\">Richmond, VA<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/kansas-city-mo\/\">Kansas City, MO<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/san-francisco-ca\/\">San Francisco, CA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/cleveland-oh\/\">Cleveland, OH<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Other cities that made the top 20, with more than 20 converted buildings and over 2,000 apartments created are: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/milwaukee-wi\/\">Milwaukee, WI<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/minneapolis-mn\/\">Minneapolis, MN<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/detroit-mi\/\">Detroit, MI<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/dallas-tx\/\">Dallas, TX<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/portland-or\/\">Portland, OR<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/pittsburgh-pa\/\">Pittsburgh, PA<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/seattle-wa\/\">Seattle, WA<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/washington-dc\/\">Washington, D.C.<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/new-orleans-la\/\">New Orleans, LA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/indianapolis-in\/\">Indianapolis, IN<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While still making the top 30 cities with the highest number of repurposed buildings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/buffalo-ny\/\">Buffalo, NY<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/providence-ri\/\">Providence, RI<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/hartford-ct\/\">Hartford, CT<\/a> are the only cities in our top with under 2,000 apartments created.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Factories were the most popular adaptive reuse projects over the past 7 decades<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Since the \u201950s, factory conversions have given new life to 442 apartment buildings nationally. That\u2019s because manufacturing structures, foundries, mills and even vintage breweries incorporate the open space floor plan that both developers and residents so crave. The 2000s, in particular, saw the potential that old factories had to offer, resulting in 122 residential buildings, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livethevictor.com\/\">The Victor<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent\/camden-nj\/\">Camden, N.J.<\/a> Once a symbol of recorded sound in America, the building is a true time capsule that proudly displays memorabilia, and still treasures its grand piano and antique gramophone.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108465 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/top-10-most-popular-types-of-conversions_new.png\" alt=\"most popular adaptive reuse projects\" width=\"900\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/top-10-most-popular-types-of-conversions_new.png 900w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/top-10-most-popular-types-of-conversions_new.png?resize=500,218 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/top-10-most-popular-types-of-conversions_new.png?resize=768,335 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/top-10-most-popular-types-of-conversions_new.png?resize=150,66 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With 434 apartment buildings created, hotels are the second-most popular building type to be turned into residential living. In fact, hotel-to-apartment conversions dominated the second half of the last century, increasing from 13 in the 1950s to 65 in the 1990s. One reason for this uptick is the easy transition from hotel rooms to apartments and the conversion from reception to concierge. Another obvious aspect is the alluring charm of living in what used to be a vintage hotel. Historic hotels like Boston\u2019s St. James Hotel turned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franklinsquare-apts.com\/\">Franklin Square<\/a> manage to capture the beauty of the past. Built in 1868, the building still showcases its luxurious dome structure, while also serving as affordable senior housing.<\/p>\n<h3>Preferred building type to adapt varies throughout the country<\/h3>\n<p>With names like <a href=\"https:\/\/bradenfellman.com\/home\/residential\/neighborhoods\/grant-park\/mattress-factory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mattress Factory Lofts<\/a> in Atlanta, <a href=\"https:\/\/hydraulicslofts.com\/\">Hydraulics Lofts<\/a> in Buffalo, NY, or <a href=\"http:\/\/shoefactoryloftsmke.com\/\">Shoe Factory Lofts<\/a> in Milwaukee, the origin of some apartment buildings is pretty clear. These three cities have favored converting older <strong>factories<\/strong>, as did Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and Richmond, VA.<\/p>\n<p>In other parts of the country, <strong>hotels<\/strong> are more prevalent. For example, hotels are Seattle&#8217;s preferred building type to turn residential, among them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northwestapartments.com\/properties\">The Tuscany<\/a>. Similarly, most conversions in Chicago, NYC, LA, Denver, San Francisco and Portland, OR also used to be hotels.<\/p>\n<p>With the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/plaza.centercitydetroit.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Plaza<\/a> in Detroit, former office buildings claimed as apartments are the norm. Notably, the iconic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theequitablebuilding.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Equitable Building<\/a> is Baltimore&#8217;s first skyscraper and used to be the largest office space south of NYC in the 1890s. Other cities that favor converted office buildings are Pittsburgh, D.C., Dallas, New Orleans and Cleveland.<\/p>\n<p>Along the same lines, former <strong>schools<\/strong> like Indianapolis\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stallardonline.com\/st-agnes-apartments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">St. Agnes<\/a>\u00a0built in 1908, can make great apartment buildings, too \u2014 which is why they\u2019ve become the most popular projects in Indiana\u2019s state capital, as well as in Louisville. Kentucky\u2019s largest city actually has 7 former schools that have been adapted to residential use, one of them being the historic <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lmha1.org\/Lourdes%20Hall.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Lourdes Hall<\/a>. Meanwhile, the name <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elsewarehouse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ElseWarehouse<\/a> tells us everything we need to know about the preferred building type to convert to residential in Minneapolis. Here, 6 residential buildings are the result of <strong>warehouse<\/strong> conversions.<\/p>\n<h2>Our Top 10 Favorite Unusual Adaptive Reuse Projects<\/h2>\n<p>Some conversion projects find residential potential in the most unusual buildings \u2014 be it an ex-funeral home or a Golden Era bomb shelter. But, beyond the squeaky hinges and creaking floorboards, a new home is just waiting to rise from the dust \u2014 whether it\u2019s in the form of a former courthouse or a repurposed chocolate factory. Below, we picked our favorite residential conversions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Former chocolate factory built 1902<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/chocolateworks-living.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Chocolate Works<\/a>\u00a0in Philadelphia, PA<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108404 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chocolate-Works-text.jpg\" alt=\"adaptive reuse of industrial buildings\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chocolate-Works-text.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chocolate-Works-text.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chocolate-Works-text.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Chocolate-Works-text.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You won\u2019t find a community sweeter than the one located in what used to be Confectioners Row at the beginning of the 1900s. Before it became home to Philly\u2019s residents, this solid brick building was home to the world-famous Wilbur Chocolate Company. If you have a chance to visit, be on the lookout for the recognizable exposed timber beams!<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Former bomb shelter built 1950<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agingcare.com\/local\/wil-mary-apartments-anderson-senior-living-sc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wilmary Apartments<\/a> in Anderson, SC<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Former funeral home built 1929<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments\/la\/new-orleans\/tudor-square-0\/default.aspx\">Tudor Square<\/a> in New Orleans, LA<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108591 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/tudor-square.jpg\" alt=\"repurposing old funeral home\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/tudor-square.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/tudor-square.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/tudor-square.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/tudor-square.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Former Italian embassy built 1925<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moderasedici.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Modera Sedici<\/a> in Washington, DC<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Former asylum built 1878<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hgliving.com\/apartments\/ma\/danvers\/bradlee-danvers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bradlee Danvers by HGI<\/a> in Danvers, MA<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108840 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Bradlee-Danvers-1.jpg\" alt=\"adaptive reuse asylum\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Bradlee-Danvers-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Bradlee-Danvers-1.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Bradlee-Danvers-1.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Bradlee-Danvers-1.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Former stadium built 1931<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coreredevelopment.com\/apartments\/stadium-lofts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stadium Lofts<\/a> in Indianapolis, IN<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Former church built 1929<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theroseonbond.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Rose on Bond<\/a> in Oakland, CA<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108593 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/The-Rose-on-Bond.jpg\" alt=\"old repurposed church\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/The-Rose-on-Bond.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/The-Rose-on-Bond.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/The-Rose-on-Bond.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/The-Rose-on-Bond.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Former armory building built 1940<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/cbcsyracuse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Copper Beech Commons<\/a> in Syracuse,NY<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Former air force base built 1937<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandlowrylofts.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Grand Lowry Lofts<\/a> in Denver, CO<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Former courthouse built 1938<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/courthouse-lofts.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Courthouse Lofts<\/a> in Kansas City, MO<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108403 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Courthouse-Lofts-text.jpg\" alt=\"adaptive reuse historic buildings\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Courthouse-Lofts-text.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Courthouse-Lofts-text.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Courthouse-Lofts-text.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2020\/09\/Courthouse-Lofts-text.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The federal courthouse in downtown Kansas City has long been an icon of the city. When it was converted, the apartment building took advantage of the huge space that the former courthouse had to offer. Today, its residents enjoy wide-open floor plans and huge walk-in closets. And, yes, the three humongous front doors are still in place, ready to welcome you.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s just something about old building designs that never goes out of style. This decade, perhaps the shift to remote work will be the trigger for further office-to-apartment conversions. Or, maybe other building types, such as retail space, will give way to rental housing. Adaptive reuse can mean more than just repurposed architecture. It can use existing resources to conserve and even boost historic value, it can impact and beautify entire communities, it can even make us feel at home in the past.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Methodology<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/\">RentCafe<\/a> is a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">nationwide apartment search website<\/a>\u00a0that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the United States.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Apartment data was provided by our sister company, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yardimatrix.com\/\">Yardi Matrix<\/a>, a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Adaptive reuse refers to reusing an existing building for a purpose other than what it was originally intended for. <\/em><em>The study is exclusively based on apartment data related to buildings containing 50 or more units.\u00a0<\/em><em>For the purpose of this study, certain building subcategories have been grouped into a general category that encompasses them. For example, manufacturing units, mills, or canneries fall under the Factory category.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>All building photos used with expressed permission from the respective property management. RentCafe does not grant the right for property image use.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"usagerights\">\n<div class=\"fairuse\">\n<h3>Fair use and redistribution<\/h3>\n<p>We encourage you and freely grant you permission to reuse, host, or repost the research and graphics presented in this article. When doing so, we ask that you credit our research by linking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/\">RentCafe.com<\/a>\u00a0or this page, so that your readers can learn more about this project, the research behind it and its methodology. For more in-depth, customized data, please contact us at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:media@rentcafe.com\">media@rentcafe.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Highlights: In the last 70 years, almost 2,000 old buildings were converted into apartments, including around 800 in the last decade alone \u2014 an all-time high.\u00a0 Chicago tops the list with the most adaptive reuse projects, while New York City leads with the most converted apartments.\u00a0 Factories are the all-time most popular building type to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":108304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3661],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-market-snapshots","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v24.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Adaptive Reuse Projects at All-Time High in the US - RentCafe rental blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Adaptive reuse projects are on the rise across the US. In the last 70 years, almost 2,000 repurposed buildings became apartments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/rental-market\/market-snapshots\/yesterdays-factories-todays-apartments-70-years-of-building-conversions-in-the-u-s\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yesterday\u2019s Factories, Today&#039;s Apartments: Adaptive Reuse Projects at All-Time High in the U.S.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Adaptive reuse projects are on the rise across the US. 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