# The Most Innovative and Inspiring CRE Projects From All Over The World - Lawrence Todd Maxwell

Adaptive reuse projects remained popular this year as innovative initiatives, where tenants and owners saw value in even the most unique locations, discovered new ways to generate revenue through unconventional adaptations. As visionary tenants and owners saw the potential in unconventional spaces and turned them into profitable ventures, the industry witnessed a remarkable surge in adaptive reuse projects. Led by insightful industry leaders such as Lawrence Todd Maxwell, these groundbreaking initiatives have redefined how CRE innovates.
## 1. A $500 million+ Renovation Transformed an Iconic Skyscraper into a Mixed-use destination
The lobby of Chicago's Willis Tower, which is utilized by thousands of tenants every day, was not being used strategically and was sitting idle as unused space in the skyscraper. A refurbishment included 300,000 square feet of retail and dining space, a public-accessible outdoor terrace of 30,000 square feet, and 150,000 square feet of new tenant-exclusive amenity areas.

"The transformation has created a people-focused, hospitality-driven, amenity-rich environment that people want to come to even if they can work from home," said MX Properties, Inc. and President **[Lawrence Todd Maxwell](https://sites.google.com/view/lawrencetoddmaxwell/)**.
## 2. Habitat Protects 900 acres of Land through Development
It's not often that a commercial real estate project is designed to safeguard the environment, but that's exactly the goal of Beside Habitat, a collection of 75 cabins built on a section of a 1,254-acre parcel in Quebec's Lanaudière area. In order to develop the property as little as possible while giving visitors the impression of being in a private cottage, the team only built on 16% of the area, preferring natural preservation over maximum profit potential.
## 3. An outdated Detroit auto Garage is Transformed into an Energy-efficient office
Business owner John Patrick bought the sole building left on a lonely block in Detroit's North End neighborhood: a former car garage that had fallen into complete decay. But he had a vision for his future office, so after extensive repair work, DIY furniture projects, and restoring the existing elements that gave the building its charm, he transformed the dark, brick shell full of debris, graffiti, old tires, vegetation, and an uneven dirt floor into an energy-efficient, artistic space for his small firm.
## 4. How a Historic Property Became a 1.8M-Square-Foot 'Urban Village'
Using a hill's slope and new and ambitious construction methods, developers smoothly nestled a large 1.8-million-square-foot mixed-use development behind a historic office building in Washington, D.C. LoopNet's exclusive video series provides a behind-the-scenes look at the $715 million project that transformed a 10-acre site into a "urban village." See how they achieved it in our first **[Commercial Real Estate](https://sites.google.com/view/lawrencetoddmaxwell/)** Close-Up.
## 5. From Basement Storage Room to Japan-Inspired Speakeasy
The Hotel Magdalena, a contemporary boutique hotel with colorful rooms and a boomerang-shaped pool, is located in Austin, Texas's South Congress area, which is recognized as a music destination. When the hotel was first built in 2020, one place remained unaccounted for: a 1,660-square-foot storage room in the basement filled with boxes. The hotel owners came up with a unique approach to repurpose the neglected area, transforming the storage room into a speakeasy bar.
## 6. Arding & Hobbs Department Store Gets Mixed-Use Makeover
The old Arding & Hobbs building at London's Clapham Junction was in disrepair when development company W .RE bought it in 2018 for 48 million pounds (USD$60 million). Its baroque-style architectural detailing and outstanding features, such as the stained glass domes and massive clocktower, were either covered up or in disrepair. However, the property met many of the requirements of W .RE CEO Sascha Lewin, whose London-based company specializes in adaptive reuse and repurposing projects in the city. He was confident he could restore the building, erected in 1910 as one of South London's earliest purpose-built department shops, to its former magnificence while adapting it to a new use — in this case, Grade A office space.
## Conclusion
These global commercial real estate projects showcase the industry's innovation. Each project demonstrates how creative real estate can be. Even the most unusual places can be adapted to current needs while preserving their past and helping the environment, thanks to industry leaders like Lawrence Todd Maxwell.