Many universities are finding innovative ways to utilize abandoned office space in urban centers, such as converting them into satellite campuses. A recent article in Urban Land highlighted the trend of higher education institutions acquiring older buildings and transforming them into classroom, meeting and performance spaces for educational purposes. Examples include UCLA’s acquisition of the downtown Los Angeles Trust Building which will be used for its Extension programs, Arizona State University’s Herald Examiner Building which serves as their L.A campus, and Johns Hopkins University’s former Newseum building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., now home to its School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
JLL Senior Vice President for Education James Birkey noted that these satellite campuses not only provide an access point for academic exchange but also increase institutional brand visibility and awareness in key markets due to softening demand for office space providing a great opportunity cost-wise too! He further explained that many university extensions focus on programs relevant to the cities where they take space; finance programs often found in New York City or fintech courses offered from San Francisco locations being two examples among many others.
The article acknowledged that while most office buildings cannot accommodate large lecture halls needed by undergraduates, graduate-level classes can fit comfortably within smaller spaces typically found within an office environment making it possible to repurpose vacant offices with relative ease when necessary adjustments are made accordingly .
