Gotta love the overall “this is doomed” tone from the conservative Seattle times. Converting buildings is challenging, but this is prime waterfront real estate near the light rail/amtrak. There are likely hundreds of old office buildings that could be converted into thousands of apartments/condos if the will is there, which would help solve real issues in Seattle.
Its a silver bullet if we can get the conversion process streamlined or improved. More housing means more people downtown, which means more business and culture and improved tax revenue for city improvements while retaining all the traffic, climate and employement benefits of work from home. The downtown becomes a place for people, making seattle more walkable and liveable.