Austin hopes to fix large amount of empty office space downtown [Video]

AUSTIN, Texas — High rises in Downtown Austin are easy to spot, but the amount of vacant office spaces is not.

According to the Downtown Austin Alliance, 22% of the office space downtown is currently vacant.

Downtown Austin Alliance Chief Impact Officer Jenell Moffett said there is simply more supply than demand. A lot of that has to do with major company’s work models.

“Those companies coming in that are leasing space are probably leasing less space than they had in the past,” Moffett said. “That’s just due to the hybrid conditions. People are working from home and that trend has continued.”

Moffett said that lack of demand means property owners are subleasing fewer floors. Instead of taking nine or 10 floors of a downtown office tower, companies may only take five or six.

Those adjustments …