Implementing the New Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, A Holistic Playbook for the First Year

Click here for Ticket Purchase Instructions & Support.

EVENT DETAILS

This panel discussion will examine the evolving regulatory and economic landscape shaping adaptive reuse and building conversions in Los Angeles. Panelists will explore the newly enacted citywide adaptive reuse ordinance, recent building code reform efforts at the city and state levels, and the role of financial incentives in facilitating conversion projects. The program will provide attendees with an understanding of how these policy shifts influence project feasibility, code compliance pathways, and the broader urban fabric as Los Angeles continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and compete with regional and global cities to attract and retain talent in support of a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future.

In addition to policy and regulatory updates, the discussion will focus on practical lessons learned in the design and documentation of adaptive reuse projects. Panelists will highlight common challenges encountered when working with existing buildings, including alternative code compliance strategies, coordination of complex construction documents, and selection of appropriate project delivery methods. Attendees will gain insight into approaches that improve project outcomes, reduce risk, and support the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants and the communities they serve.

MODERATOR

Roberto Vazquez, AIA – Associate Principal & Sector Leader, HED

As a Housing Sector Leader at HED, Roberto Vazquez, AIA, brings a distinct depth of technical precision and creative vision to the adaptive reuse and repositioning of the built environment. A passionate advocate and practitioner, Roberto has spent two decades transforming underutilized buildings into vibrant, multi-dimensional spaces across Los Angeles and beyond—revitalizing city cores, catalyzing economic opportunity, and expanding access to housing. His portfolio spans high-rise conversions, boutique hotels, and landmark restorations, where Roberto’s impact reaches beyond the drawing board. He is a vocal partner to cities and agencies, working to reimagine policy frameworks that unlock the social, environmental, and financial potential of reuse. Through thoughtful leadership, technical rigor, and advocacy-driven design, he positions architecture as both a tool for urban resilience and a catalyst for equity.

SPEAKERS

Karin Liljegren, FAIA – Principal & Founder, Omgivning Architecture & Interiors

Karin Liljegren, FAIA, has dedicated the past 25 years of her career to the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. In 2009, she founded Omgivning Architecture and Interiors, a firm known for uncovering the potential in underutilized buildings. Omgivning transforms these buildings to a wide range of new uses—including multifamily housing, hotels, restaurants, event venues, and workspaces—from a small cafe up to a two-million-square-foot historic high-rise.

A leader in advocacy, Karin combines hands-on experience with a practical yet visionary approach. Her ability to see all perspectives has helped shape local planning policies and drive reforms in building and fire codes for more than two decades, leading her to become a State and National thought leader.

Garrett Lee – President, Jamison Properties

Garrett Lee is President of Jamison Properties, the development arm of Jamison, which under his direction has brought to market more than 8,000 new market rate and affordable housing units, through ground up construction and adaptive reuse conversions of office to residential. Garrett also oversees Jamison’s general contracting firms that have built the majority of its development portfolio.

A Los Angeles native, he earned a BA from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a JD from USC Gould School of Law. Since 2016, Garrett has served on the board of the Korean American Coalition, a nonprofit organization that promotes the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community.

Holly Harper, AIA – Planning Assistant, Los Angeles City Planning

Holly Harper is a principal author of the Citywide Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (ARO) that is now in effect everywhere outside of downtown. The Citywide ARO expands incentives for the conversion of existing buildings to provide new housing and makes most such applications by-right, building upon Los Angeles’ successful Downtown Adaptive Reuse Program (1999). See: https://planning.lacity.gov/project-review/adaptive-reuse.

Holly joined Los Angeles City Planning’s Urban Design Studio after fifteen years in the non-profit sector focused upon urban forestry and active transportation. She received her BArch from SCI-Arc, is a licensed architect and worked to build the City’s first green street (2007) in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services, located on Oros Street and in Steelhead Park along the Los Angeles River. She currently lives northeast of downtown and has been car-free for over twenty years.

Billy Omahen – Operations Manager, Swinerton

Billy Omahen is an Operations Manager with Swinerton’s OCLA Special Projects Division, where he oversees all aspects of pre-construction and construction for complex renovation, tenant improvement, and adaptive reuse projects across Southern California. With over eighteen years of industry experience, Billy has played a key role in repurposing underutilized and legacy buildings into high performing spaces that support creative office, cultural, life science, institutional, and research uses.

His adaptive reuse portfolio includes prominent projects such as the AltaSea Campus at the Port of Los Angeles, multiple Downtown Los Angeles adaptive reuse and repositioning efforts, and large scale warehouse to office and laboratory conversions. Billy’s work emphasizes constructability, phased occupancy, sustainability, and stakeholder coordination within dense urban environments. His projects often involve navigating aging infrastructure, historic structures, and occupied facilities, requiring thoughtful phasing strategies and a deep understanding of existing building constraints. Known for bridging design ambition with practical execution, Billy frequently collaborates with architects, engineers, and owners to resolve structural constraints, modernize MEP systems, and extend the life of existing buildings while meeting contemporary performance and code requirements. He offers an owner and builder focused perspective on balancing risk, innovation, and feasibility, drawing from hands on experience delivering complex adaptive reuse projects with long term operational value.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Adaptive Reuse Ordinance
•Identify key provisions of the new citywide adaptive reuse ordinance.
•Evaluate its successes and areas that require further refinement.
Building Code Reform
•Describe current city and state initiatives aimed at facilitating building code reform.
•Analyze how these reforms impact adaptive reuse and building conversions.
Financial Incentives
•Summarize available financial incentives that support building conversions.
•Assess how these incentives influence project feasibility and design strategy.
Lessons Learned in Practice
•Identify design opportunities and constraints when working with existing buildings.
•Recognize common oversights in construction documentation for adaptive reuse projects.
•Compare project delivery methods, including Design Bid Build and GMP, and evaluate their suitability for conversion projects.

PARKING

Street parking is available. Please be mindful of the signage and please do not park in the lots of local businesses.