Tempe – Residents are invited to participate in public meetings on Oct. 8 to provide feedback on a proposed city code change aimed at repurposing commercial, office, and mixed-use buildings for multi-family housing.
The changes are being made to comply with Arizona House Bill 2297, according to the city.
HB 2297 mandates that cities with populations of 150,000 or more repurpose up to 10% of commercial, office, and mixed-use buildings for multi-family housing, with a portion of units required to be affordably priced.
This adaptive reuse initiative targets vacant or underused buildings and includes provisions to ensure that a portion of the repurposed units is affordably priced.
The meetings, which will be held both virtually and in-person, are part of the city’s effort to engage the public before finalizing the code amendment.
Additional hearings are planned through the end of the year, allowing residents more opportunities to share their views.
Tempe officials are currently drafting the code amendment, which must be in place by Jan. 1, 2025.