I see in my crystal ball…

A return to the office! No, I’m not psychic - the traffic into and out of downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul is a dead giveaway that things are already changing. While I seriously enjoyed being able to cruise through the downtown Minneapolis interchange in less than 5 minutes over the past year, I can honestly say I am a bit relieved that it now takes me an annoying 10-15 minutes (almost back to what it used to be pre-pandemic). All of this is a long-winded way of saying that after months of wondering, pontificating, hypothesizing and projecting what would happen to demand for office space – we finally have an answer. Office space isn’t dead, and it isn’t going away. 

The Finance & Commerce article this week (here) reinforced that conclusion with the help of testimony and observation by several industry professionals with direct local experience.  I can’t say that I’m surprised. This whole work-from-home only (note my inclusion of the work “only”) was bound to run its course and wear out.  While I think the hybrid model of work is here to stay, that will not negate the need for office space.  We need it. We need it to collaborate. We need it because people like people. We need it to be innovative.  So go ahead, get out of here for the 4th and enjoy the long holiday weekend because I have a feeling that sometime soon, you’ll be back in the office. And honestly, I think it’s a good thing.

Have a safe and fun 4th of July everyone! 

-Jennifer

PS – If you can’t read the article try to access it from my personal LinkedIn page.