JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Times-Union plans to relocate its headquarters downtown in 2018, a move that dovetails with its decision to stop printing the paper in Jacksonville.
The newspaper announced those changes, which will result in the loss of roughly 50 jobs, on its website Wednesday evening, around the same time employees found out.
Beginning in February, the Times-Union will print its daily papers at a sister site in Gainesville and its Sunday edition at a separate printing plant in Daytona.
Citing the significant cost of upgrading or replacing the aging printing presses, Times-Union President Mark Nusbaum said the decision to move "makes financial sense."
Nusbaum went on to say the Times-Union aims to move its remaining news and advertising staff to new offices somewhere downtown by late 2018.
"It's where we need to be," said Nusbaum, citing the newspaper's focus on government coverage coming from downtown, including City Hall. "We want to be there, right in the middle of it."
So what?
So what does the news mean for readers? Likely no noticeable change.
Newsroom leadership expected deadlines to be moved up by 45 minutes. That would leave less flexibility to include evening breaking news and major sports event coverage.
But despite the earlier, and firmer, deadlines that come with it, the move is not anticipated to disrupt delivery schedules for subscribers.
Nusbaum said the newspaper will continue to expand its digital footprint through its website, Jacksonville.com, while delivering an exceptional print product.
Prime real estate
The move does, however, signal some potential changes to the landscape of the up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood that the newspaper currently calls home.
The Morris family, which owned the Times-Union for three decades, kept the 18-acre site at One Riverside Avenue when it sold the newspaper to GateHouse Media in October.
The Times-Union stated the Morris family has previously "indicated an interest in developing the property," which would be prime, waterfront real estate in an already promising part of town.