Office leasing and residential conversions are gaining momentum in Center City, while return-to-office (RTO) rates have plateaued, according to a new report brief from the Center City District. On Friday, the CCD released the “Back to the Daytime Office Population: A Center City Insights” rep ort brief examining the state of Philadelphia’s downtown office district. According to the report, Center City has seen a wave of new lease signings and renewals across multiple industries. In contrast, the office district’s daytime population has not experienced a meaningful uptick over the last two years. The report cited CoStar data showing that 2025 was the strongest leasing year of the post-pandemic period, with nearly 2.3 million square feet of office space leased in Center City. “Office leasing and neighborhood investment are moving in the right direction, but a strong data trend for buildings hasn’t yet translated into a strong data trend for daytime foot traffic,” said Prema Katari Gupta, President and CEO of Center City District. “Closing that gap means understanding what will actually bring workers back to the office more often, and that’s exactly what we intend to do this fall.” According to the report, nearly 3,500 residential units have been created through office-to-residential conversions since the mid-20th-century development of the JFK Boulevard corridor. At least 500 more units have been proposed, while another 2,000 have been delivered through ground-up apartment development in and around the office district. The report also highlights CCD events that have proven effective at drawing office workers into the district, including Center City Sips, which has brought an average increase of more than 5,500 people to the office district on summer Wednesdays. The Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) is piloting two new initiatives this fall: The first brings CoExperiences, a Pittsburgh-based technology platform that matches employees with local events, to Philadelphia through CPDC member companies. The second is a series of focus groups with employees of downtown companies, gathering direct feedback on what workers love, what they don’t, and what they want more of in Center City. Click here to read the full report. ...read more read less