Can empty retail spaces find a new lease of life on our high streets?
The pandemic has not been kind to high street retail. Already in decline way before the ravages of the coronavirus, many retail spaces now lay empty with little prospects of reopening soon. With that in mind, we wanted to talk about some of the ways we can give these unused spaces a new lease of life, weighing up the pros and cons of each option and which has a realistic chance of success.
An epidemic of empty space?
With the glory days of the high street disappearing in the rear-view mirror, a glut of unused retail spaces are appearing on our high streets. Often inhabiting prime locations on brownfield land, there are limited options as to what these large spaces can be reinvented as. Let’s have a look at the options.
Residential
One of the most obvious options would be to convert the large spaces into accommodation. With the demand for city-centre living space at an all-time high, what better way than to put these empty units to use than by converting them into apartments. Sounds good right?
The government has already laid the foundations to start the process of converting retail space to residential, but the question should still be asked: Is it a good idea?
While it might sound like a no brainer, there are a few stumbling blocks to this strategy. Besides the fact that there are big questions over whether this strategy will provide the good quality homes people are crying out for, the fact of the matter is that these spaces often aren’t built with residential uses in mind. That’s particularly true for some of the larger retail spaces being vacated at the moment.
From heating and plumbing through to ventilation, these spaces aren’t designed to provide the amenities required for residential development. The needs of residents are very different from those of businesses. Natural light, good ventilation, ease of heating all play a part in a desirable home, all of which are often absent from the shop floor.
Office Space
A second option is to convert large empty retail spaces into offices. With restrictions slowly being lifted, many businesses will be looking to secure new office space and where better for that than the high street.
Unlike the residential option, there would be little need to radically change the building services already in place. Much of the shop floor could easily be transformed to make way for everything from co-working spaces to office hubs and meeting rooms.
The amenities for large retail and large commercial offices are often similar. The toilets are normally at the back, the electrical requirements are similar, HVAC and security would barely need tweaking, and the circulation spaces found in retail units are also appropriate for office users.
On the downside, there are big questions over whether businesses will truly opt for a full return to office life. The pandemic has shown us that we have the infrastructure in place for wide-scale remote working, with it providing multiple benefits to both employers and employees. With this in mind, are we in danger of replacing empty retail spaces with empty office spaces?
The flip side is that, while there will probably be a move towards more remote working, it’s unlikely that there’ll be a complete switch. Many businesses will switch to a hybrid model with people spending 1-2 days in the office each week. With this more balanced approach, coworking spaces could fill the void nicely, offering a viable alternative and giving new life to disused retail spaces once again.
Science, technology and manufacturing
Perhaps one of the most interesting options would be to convert large retail units into technology spaces, whether that be medical testing facilities, laboratories, manufacturing, or even data centres. Much like commercial office space, these kinds of ventures wouldn’t have the substantial requirements that come with residential retrofits.
The large, open and completely level floor space in many retail units is perfect for science and technology facilities. While a good amount of retrofitting would be required, the level of works would not require large scale overhauling of the current infrastructure.
Retail spaces are already set up for the high electricity demand, fire safety regulations, and proper access required for technology ventures. In fact, many of these spaces are exactly the enclosed and controlled environments required for technology services to thrive.
As with all things, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. GLD has recently adapted a disused office space to accommodate an endoscopy unit, proving that these kinds of retrofits can provide space for a wide range of important facilities.
We can see it – can you? That empty shopping centre on your local high street becoming a new hub for high-tech businesses and manufacturers? Perfect.
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If you’re looking for a technical consultancy firm to help you adapt your asset for new use, give GLD a call and we’ll set you on track for success
