WHEATON, MD—Now that Lowe Enterprises has completed the conversion of a Wheaton office building to a residential property, the company is exploring the possibility of doing similar projects in the area.

The Los Angeles-based firm recently finished the $44-million redevelopment of an office building at 11411 Georgia Ave. into a 194-unit apartment building that has been renamed “The George.”

Lowe Managing Director Mark Rivers says the company is exploring the prospect of converting more offices to residential, according to the Washington Business Journal.

"We tried to develop a project there that would be a little unique," Rivers says. "We do think that there is more opportunity, in fact we think there will be quite a lot of opportunity over the next decade or so."

Another area developer thinking along the same lines is Vornado Realty Trust, which is repositioning some of its Crystal City buildings into apartments. LCOR Inc. is also converting a Pentagon City office building vacated by the military, into residential as well.

Rivers believes the conversion of office space to residential will increase, especially where zoning allows building owners to increase the size of the building in relation to the conversion. See story in the Washington Business Journal.