The downtown headquarters for the Billings Gazette, the paper's home for a half century, is for sale for $7.865 million, the paper announced Wednesday.
The 94,000-square-foot building at 401 N. Broadway has been the paper's home since 1967 and was expanded in 2007. The property is listed with Berkshire Hathaway Commercial Services based in Billings.
Gazette Publisher Dave Worstell said in a news release that the building sale will not affect news or advertising. The building is home to a large printing press, and Worstell said the paper's local printing and production will be hit at some point.
Worstell said the paper is looking for a new, smaller space in downtown Billings, but he did not specify a spot or announce a moving date.
“This decision is being made simply because the building is too large for our current needs,’ Worstell said in a statement. “Financially, the Billings Gazette is in good shape. We are very optimistic about our future as the preeminent news provider in the city, region and state, and a partner in helping local businesses connect with customers through our digital and print marketing products. The Billings Gazette will be serving the communities that depend on us for news and information for many, many years to come.”
The Gazette building, designed by architects Drake, Gustafson and Associates, is centrally located in downtown Billings, with more than 120 parking spaces on the surrounding lot.
The Gazette is owned by Lee Enterprises, which owns five newspapers in Montana.
