Sep 6, 2026 · 27 min
Vacant offices face uneven futures across Michigan
Empty Office Buildings - What's Next?
Empty offices may become housing, campuses, new developments, or demolition projects, but each building and market requires a different economic answer.
- 1Class A offices may recover sooner, while Class B and C conversions face costly design, financing, and zoning obstacles.
- 2Detroit’s historic buildings and major investment create redevelopment opportunities, but obsolete offices may still require demolition or incentives.
- 3Universities, adaptive reuse, and market-specific planning offer alternatives where conventional office demand no longer supports existing buildings.
Don't miss
Milliken explains why some vacant offices cannot be economically converted and may instead require demolition, incentives, or an entirely new plan.
The brief
Stephen Gasque talks with Michigan commercial real estate broker Bill Milliken about vacant offices and the sharply different futures facing Class A, B, and C properties.
Detroit’s redevelopment and historic building stock offer reasons for optimism, but converting older offices into housing remains difficult because layouts, costs, debt, and incentives rarely align.
For functionally obsolete buildings, Milliken considers waiting for recovery, demolition, adaptive reuse, and university expansion—solutions that must be tailored to each site.
The discussion broadens from office strategy to market geography: recovery may return city by city, with stronger conditions in Texas, Florida, and California than in many older Midwestern markets.
Milliken also explains the CCIM designation and discusses the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk, connecting professional standards with a distinctive Michigan civic tradition.
Featuring
Mentioned
Washington, D.C.
Mackinac
Mackinac Bridge AuthorityListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.