LONDON: Offices in London’s City finance district left empty by the pandemic will be transformed into at least 1,500 new homes by the end of the decade, the City of London Corporation said Tuesday.

The governing body which runs The Square Mile unveiled plans to work with the property industry to refurbish and develop deserted buildings, including for culture, retail, hospitality and start-ups.

The announcement comes as many office workers have permanently adopted remote work during the pandemic, leaving prime real estate vacant in the UK’s historic financial centre.

The corporation’s head of planning and transportation, Alastair Moss, said the City — home to some of the world’s major blue chip firms — would “adapt and prove resilient”.