County workforce and economic development speakers briefed the Strategic Planning Committee Dec. 9 on labor‑market outcomes and structural changes in DuPage County’s property market, urging coordinated action on repurposing underused office buildings.

Lisa Shabak, director of the county’s workforce development division, reported program gains tied to the strategic plan: “a 37% increase we saw in workshop and seminar attendance from our program year ’23 to program year ’24,” a 19% increase in career‑counselor appointments, and a 77% employment exit rate for completers in the last full program year. She said program completers averaged “$28 an hour as their average wage,” a 61% average wage gain for participants who often face employment barriers.

Greg Bedlov, speaking for Choose DuPage, presented the county’s industry cluster analysis and market indicators. He said DuPage tracked 74 qualifying projects in 2025 (down from 83 in 2024), and reported roughly 1,680 jobs created or retained. Bedlov highlighted a steep fall in Class A office leasing—“We have seen 18 lease deals this year versus 177 last year”—and said Class A vacancy was approximately 22.4%. He argued that repurposing strategies, including multifamily conversions for large Class A buildings and alternative uses for lower‑grade offices, should be a county priority because DuPage lacks entitlement and zoning authority to force conversions unilaterally.

Committee members described local obstacles to conversions, including differing municipal interpretations of an EV‑parking requirement that developers said can block repurposing in some towns but not others. One board member described a recently sold five‑story building that was about 10% occupied and sold at a fraction of previous assessed values; others urged the county to coordinate with mayors, managers and Springfield to clarify rules that affect conversions.

Bedlov also summarized two county programs supporting businesses: Connect DuPage (a supplier database) with 142 suppliers, more than 12,600 website visits and 42 individual inquiries, and Sustainable DuPage, which offers green‑business assessments and checklists. Members pressed for emphasis on “attainable” or “missing‑middle” housing in any conversion plans; Member Garcia said housing costs are out of reach for many and urged incorporating affordable units rather than exclusively luxury apartments.

The committee did not adopt new policy at the meeting; presenters urged continued intergovernmental coordination and outreach to municipal leaders as next steps.