About History President of the Senate Acting Governor Committee Responsibilities Lt. Governor's Rulings Appointment Process Billy Frank Jr. Maquette
International Relations Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations Washington Sister States Washington Sister Cities Support Ukraine
About Civic Health Civic Health Summit Civic Health Report
Constituent Services State Services Washington Tribes Veterans Resources Youth Civic Engagement Opportunities
My Office Meeting Requests Media Requests Public Records Requests Rules Room Reservation
President of the Washington State Senate

 Commercial to Residential Survey

Strategies and Challenges for Building Multifamily Housing on Existing Commercial Properties

*All responses are due by September 1, 2025

Web background (7).png

Overview

The Legislature tasked the Lt. Governor’s Office with identifying strategies to help public and private developers overcome obstacles to build multifamily housing on existing commercial properties, such as redevelopment of big-box stores, malls, and underused parking lots.

Recommendations from this process may be used to develop new legislation and adjust existing policy to support and expedite these projects.

The primary focus is on ground-up middle to large scale projects on underutilized commercial land — think of an abandoned former Sears becoming a mixed-use apartment community.

 
 

In 2025, the Legislature considered Senator Emily Alvarado’s SB 5755 and Senator Jeff Wilson’s SB 5749 — two ideas to incentivize redevelopment of vacant and underutilized commercial properties into multifamily, mixed use communities.

Challenge Seattle’s 2024 report Build Baby Build highlighted the significant capacity for more homes offered by redeveloping underutilized commercial spaces. The Legislature decided it needed more information about what developers require to succeed and directed the Lt. Governor’s Office to gather this information.

 
 

The Legislature authorized the Lt. Governor’s Office to conduct this survey through the 2025-2027 Operating Budget:

“…the office of the lieutenant governor shall conduct a review of retail or commercial properties with substantial potential for redevelopment as residential or mixed-use properties providing market rate and affordable housing supply and identify state or local legislative actions that would reduce costs and accelerate delivery of new housing supply. The office shall solicit letters of interest from the owners or developers of such properties to be received no later than September 1, 2025. By December 1, 2025, the office must review the letters of interest and submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature identifying state or local legislative actions including, but not limited to, regulatory and tax incentives, permit streamlining, infrastructure assistance, support for local 8 development agreements, or other actions that would accelerate delivery and reduce costs of new housing supply.”

This survey will serve as the vehicle for the letters of interest from the budget language.

Who we are looking for

We are especially interested in survey responses from public and private housing developers and financers, local and city governments, state agencies, and subject matter experts with knowledge of housing and commercial development.

What we are looking for

Respondents are invited to provide information to the Lt. Governor’s Office on both specific projects and sites, as well as general process and strategy for commercial to residential projects. We primarily want to hear about medium to large projects with new buildings, but are interested in conversion of existing buildings as well.

Web background.png

Survey COntact

James Rolph, Director of Policy and International Relations
Washington State Office of Lieutenant Governor
james.rolph@ltgov.wa.gov
253-231-3401

Please submit your responses via this online form by September 1, 2025.

We will also accept a PDF file submitted to james.rolph@ltgov.wa.gov with the subject line “C to R Response” by September 1, 2025.

 

scheduling a meeting with the lieutenant governor’s office

Please email James Rolph at james.rolph@ltgov.wa.gov with the subject line “Survey meeting schedule request” to schedule a meeting (in-person or virtual) with the Lt. Governor’s Office to discuss your submission, ask questions, or offer verbal feedback.

attending the survey roundtable

The Lt. Governor’s Office will hold an optional roundtable in July for participants to ask questions or share thoughts as a group. Ideas and information shared during this roundtable will be included in the final report.

Please email James Rolph at james.rolph@ltgov.wa.gov with the subject line “Survey Roundtable RSVP” to sign up for the roundtable.

 survey timeline

June 1, 2025:
Survey released

July 15, 2025:
Survey roundtable

August 1, 2025:
Deadline for questions and meeting requests

September 1, 2025:
Survey responses due

Web background.png

survey questions

Please respond to the following questions with as much detail as you need to fully answer them. Responses are considered public records and may be disclosed. Please do not include propriety information or other information you do not want disclosed or attributed.

If you have questions about how to respond, please send them to james.rolph@ltgov.wa.gov by August 1, 2025.

If you would like to submit your response through a PDF file, please click here.