At the Business Record’s annual Economic Forecast, Hubbell Realty Co. CEO Rick Tollakson discussed the 25 percent vacancy rate in Greater Des Moines’ competitive office market. The new headquarters buildings recently constructed include “shadow space” for expansion, he noted, so those companies are likely out of the office-rental market for quite some time.

“We’ll need some alternative uses” for buildings that are standing vacant, Tollakson said. “Some may have to be torn down.”

We broached this subject a year ago and haven’t seen any changes since then that would take the “tear down and replace” option off the table. We applaud any effort to fill bits of space here and there, and support those who would turn office space into art studios and galleries, and other such uses.

That won’t do the trick, though, and it’s risky to avoid the discussion of more dramatic measures. As the U.S. economy gathers itself and eventually expands, companies will come looking for a “welcome” sign.

Downtown Des Moines has a remarkable collection of big employers, such as Meredith Corp., Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., Principal Financial Group Inc., Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Wells Fargo & Co. Other companies certainly would see that list as evidence that this is a good place to set up shop. Some will need to know that the demolition and construction option is feasible.

They need to be as close together as possible. We would love to see more development in the open spaces along East Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, but in the winter, that’s a cold trek to our cozy downtown neighborhood.

More employers, in turn, would mean more apartment-dwellers.

Look at old photos of downtown Des Moines and you’ll see quite a few handsome structures that have since disappeared. It would be nice to see them today, but they would be empty.

Times change, and our buildings need to change, too.