Office space at Gannett’s News Journal/Delaware Online building on Basin Road is up for lease.
A listing on the LoopNet site, shows 90,000 square feet available. The listing does not include the production site, which prints multiple Gannett newspapers in the region. As little as 5,000 square feet is available.
An upstate New York real estate firm is listing the building, which was constructed in 1990, with an addition added in the early 2000s In 1990, the News Journal left its longtime home in downtown Wilmington after a battle over acquiring land in that area of Wilmington. Based on its listings, the real estate firm listing the News Journal space specializes in the sales and leasing of newspaper properties.
The News Journal, like most daily newspapers, has seen its editorial, advertising, and office staff dwindle over the years, leaving a large block of space available. The news side of the News Journal has shrunk to a few dozen people, a fraction of the total number at its peak.
Technology has also eliminated the need for office space near the printing plant since production, accounting, circulation, and other activities can occur at remote locations. Many newspaper chains, including Gannett, have set up centralized production centers with the final pages transmitted to the printing plant.
Some newspapers have gone so far as to not have an office and instead require staff to work from home or other remote sites. Others have moved into more cozy downtown or suburban space.
The added space is not good news for the northern Delawre commercial real estate office leasing market, which has seen an uptick in the vacancy rate as more companies keep staff working from home or other locations.
The building is convenient to Interstate 95 and is adjacent to the New Castle Corporate Commons office complex and the Wilmington Airport.
