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Listen to the broadcast story on how cities across the Midwest are considering downtown development in a post-COVID world, and Tyler s conversation with Stateside s April Baer
A vacant building in Ann Arbor, MI advertising available office space. Global commerical real estate services company JLL predicts that most workers in the U.S. will return to in-person work at least one day a week by this fall. But it could lead to a slight decline in demand for office space
Credit Tyler Scott
Some small and medium-size cities like Lansing have been trying for years to reimagine how their downtown areas should look if they want to attract new residents. The pandemic has disrupted the status quo, posing new challenges and, in the eyes of some urban planners, a new starting point.
LANSING – State of Michigan offices became more lively Monday as employees began returning to downtown Lansing.
State employees returned to their offices after nearly 18 months of working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget did not have an exact figure available Monday afternoon of how many ended their stint as remote workers. Half of the state s more than 50,000 employees worked remotely during the pandemic, including roughly 20,000 workers in downtown Lansing.
State employees are expected to return to their offices gradually, depending on each individual department’s return-to-work plans, according to DTMB.
Michigan passed the 55% vaccination benchmark on May 10, paving the way for businesses to resume in-person work on May 24. Despite the reopening benchmark, the state decided to delay its return-to-work date.
LANSING – Thousands of state workers are returning to the office July 12, well over a year after they were sent to work from home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Although it is anticipated in-person work may be allowed starting May 24, our previously announced date of July 12 has not changed,” Cheryl Schmittdiel, acting director of the Office of the State Employer, wrote in a letter to state employees Monday. “Agency and DTMB staff are working to ensure workplaces meet the latest CDC and MIOSHA standards and your agency is also updating its return-to-work plan.”
Michigan has tied loosening coronavirus restrictions to vaccination rates, and May 10 marked the first milestone. Since more than 55% of eligible Michiganders have received at least one dose, businesses are allowed to resume in-person work starting May 24.