Microsoft tries to dump S.F. office space amid tech industry cost-cutting::px-captcha

  • qooqie@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Now all companies should cut their office costs because I sure as shit ain’t going back to office. It’ll also help bankrupt some landlords (I hope)

      • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        Yeah, it will also lead to more vacant space in highly desired downtown cores that can be turned into residential units.

        • ramble81@lemm.ee
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          9 months ago

          Honestly that’s always been a core problem of American cities vs other countries and part of what increases our car dependency. Other countries have mixed use urban areas that are resilient if one type is doing bad, whereas American cities have large divisions (housing, business, commercial) all separate, when there is a seismic change it leaves large sections of the city hurting.

        • Not_mikey@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Which will collapse the residential market with a supply glut. Which in SF might be a good thing.

        • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Inb4 “BuT tHaT’s ToO eXpEnSiVe”.

          It’s not a valid excuse, to be sure, it’s just the most common one I see.

          • Ashyr@sh.itjust.works
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            9 months ago

            It is a non-trivial process. Commercial offices and residential apartments have very different code requirements.

            I’m all for doing it. I work from home myself and don’t know that I’ll ever take a job that requires a commute if I can help it.

            We should be realistic about it, however, and acknowledge that it’s not as simple as throwing up a few walls and doors and calling it a day.

            • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              You’re right, there’s more to it than hanging extra doors. It’s going to cost money, which was my original statement, owners won’t do the renovations because it’s “too expensive” and keeping the status quo is cheaper.

        • SinningStromgald@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Oh, I know there can be some good from it, I doubt it but it’s possible (the NIMBY is strong), but a collapsed commercial real estate market will have knock on economic effects elsewhere. Think housing bubble bad but maybe worse. Remember, before COVID, commercial real estate was essentially a “sure thing” investment wise. Everyone needed a job and every job needed a place for said job to be done. Now…now we all know for sure what we all suspected for years previously: we didn’t need to go to an office to do our jobs.

          I am in no way supporting landlords or anything. In fact I’m firmly in the “no one gets two until everyone has one” camp for housing along with removing the ability for companies to own single family housing. Just being a realist is all. And a pessimist.

    • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      These places are beautiful. They should be opened to the public. Or maybe we should fund the parks system to create something similar.

    • skyspydude1@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I think there are upsides and downsides to them, and I’d much rather work at and have to look at those, rather than miles and miles of soulless business parks or high rises, especially in areas where real estate isn’t at a premium.

  • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Such a weird interplay of land vs human capital. Like a company can afford either to fuck around with one cost, say expenses aligned toward real estate and all the trappings of a fancy office, or people…

    Both together just seems too much…

  • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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    9 months ago

    Good luck dumping any commercial real estate right now. The new Google building in Austin is completely empty. You can see right through it.

  • banneryear1868@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Dump it and build public housing to accommodate their labor demand instead of useless and wasteful structures, the office needs to die.