In the depths of the pandemic, Colorado began work on a timely initiative called “Reduce our Footprint.” Acknowledging the growing use of remote and hybrid work coupled with an opportunity to consolidate space, the state set about cutting back its owned and leased space by 1 million square feet by July 1, 2025.

Sounds like a great idea, but according to a new report, by Axios, after five years, the state is far behind on reaching its target. In fact, to date, the state has only cut a little less than half of the square footage it planned to eliminate.

It turned out that the slower-than-expected progress was likely always overly ambitious. Long-term leases were already in place that required difficult negotiations and fees if they were to be terminated before the contract date, according to Doug Platt, spokesperson for the state’s Department of Personnel and Administration, as quoted by Axios.

In an effort to expedite matters, the administration is requesting nearly $700,000 in the upcoming budget which would include the capacity to consolidate an “unspecified state agency into the Capitol Complex by October.”

Ultimately the state was forced by the slow pace of the effort to acknowledge that it was overshooting in the first place. It has taken the dramatic step of cutting the goal to 800,000 square feet and pushed back the goal to July 1, 2027. 

Will the new goal be realistic? Possibly. But expectations of continued acceptance of remote and hybrid work appears to be running contrary to government moves elsewhere that are ordering workers back to the office. Not only is the administration in Washington mandating that federal employees return to full-time work in the office, governors in Republican-controlled states like Ohio and Oklahoma are taking the same path. How much this current trend accelerates and affects states and local governments more generally is still unclear.

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