Adaptive Reuse Projects Abounded in 2025

While bids for complex capital projects continue to dominate the construction industry, adaptive reuse has been quietly on the rise. Notably, more than 70,000 apartments were converted from office buildings in 2025, up more than 200% since 2022.

Driven by an increase in hybrid work, an ongoing housing shortage and a heightened focus on environmental concerns, these unique projects not only help revitalize communities but support sustainability, reduce waste and help contractors grow their business.

REUSE PROJECTS AND RESEARCH

High-profile adaptive reuse projects include the award winning Asher Adams Hotel, formerly the historic Union Pacific Railroad Depot in Salt Lake City; The High Line, originally an elevated railroad track turned public park in New York City; and Ghiradelli Square, the iconic San Francisco-based chocolate factory turned shopping, dining and entertainment complex. These transformations showcase the power of adaptive reuse to revitalize local neighborhoods and communities while reducing the environmental impact and restoring the architectural heritage of abandoned structures.

Given the nuances associated with adaptive reuse projects, contractors gain an unprecedented opportunity to grow their business, learn new technical skills, navigate complex project management issues and hone problem-solving proficiencies, while expanding the opportunity to apply creativity and innovation to project design. Offering laborers the hands-on opportunity to work on adaptive reuse projects gives contractors a competitive edge and can help attract highly motivated and energetic individuals to increase their talent bench and showcase expertise in tackling these unique projects.

Furthermore, the measurable gains achieved through these projects are proven and significant. Industry research cites adaptive reuse projects can be completed up to 30% faster and are typically 15–30% less expensive than new construction due to savings on demolition, new materials and labor. By executing these revitalization-type projects, contractors also demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, helping to attract like-minded industry partners and much-needed talent resources, all while contributing to the greater good. The Carbon Avoided: Retrofit Estimator tool was purpose-built to quantify carbon savings and, in a 2024 study on reusing a historic building, found an 82% reduction in global warming potential compared to building new. The environmental impact of adaptive reuse is significant and can make a meaningful difference in local communities around the world.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

While the benefits are clear, adaptive reuse isn’t without its challenges. Unlike new builds, adaptive reuse projects can present unforeseen hurdles like structural issues, building codes that are difficult to meet, contaminants like asbestos, complicated design modifications to existing layouts and more.

To help contractors navigate adaptive reuse projects, there are innovative tools available designed to help overcome these challenges, ensure efficiencies and maximize onsite labor. A few of these solutions include:

Innovative Cable Solutions: One of the key advantages of adaptive reuse projects is that much of the existing infrastructure–such as doorways–is already present. This means that contractors don’t have to spend time building these out. However, it does mean that contractors need to find efficient ways to move cable through the existing structure efficiently. Most cable reels won’t fit through standard doorways, so contractors tend to waste time tearing down and then rebuilding the frames. Fortunately, there are cable solutions that can fit through most standard doorways, which saves time on these kinds of projects.

Lighting Carts: Every broken light bulb or fixture takes money out of a contractor’s pocket. Lighting carts allow workers to easily and securely transport these materials across the jobsite. Additionally, these carts save time by eliminating the need for electricians to manually carry fixtures around the site.

Mobile Storage Solutions: With space often at a premium, these job trailers provide a single, secure place to store all the necessary materials, which helps save on labor and streamline inventory management.

Kitting and Prefabrication: One of the main advantages of adaptive reuse projects is they generally have a faster turnaround time than new builds. Kitting and prefabricated solutions can help speed up installation time even further by delivering components to the jobsite ready to install. Labor-intensive tasks, such as sorting and basic assembly, are performed off site, meaning specialized labor can spend more time on critical tasks.

As metro areas get more creative in how they utilize their existing buildings and spaces, the number of adaptive reuse projects will only continue to grow. For contractors, the measurable benefits cannot be ignored and while challenges exist, those that overlook the opportunity to tackle these projects are leaving money on the table and effectively handing business to their competitors. By relying on innovative tools, strategic partners and doubling down on a commitment to helping improve their local communities, contractors are well positioned to confidently add adaptive reuse to their project portfolio.

The post Adaptive Reuse Projects Abounded in 2025 first appeared on Construction Executive.

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