Ledger-Enquirer moving to Broadway's Hardaway Building (Atlanta, Columbus: sale, 2014, lawyer)

[Columbuskidd92]

The Ledger-Enquirer, which has been at its current 12th Street location since 1930, is moving to a prominent office building on Broadway by the end of January.

Ledger-Enquirer President and Publisher Rodney Mahone made the announcement to employees during a meeting Tuesday, saying the relocation to 945 Broadway, in what is known as the Hardaway Building, came after an extensive four-year search process.

The Hardaway Building, which dates to the 1890s, but was renovated into its current design in 1987, sits across Broadway from the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. The Springer Opera House, the Columbus Convention and Trade Center, and Columbus State University’s RiverPark campus facilities all are adjacent to the property.

Mahone said the Ledger-Enquirer and its staff will occupy the entire second floor of the Hardaway Building and a portion of the ground floor, where customer service will be located for those needing to make payments and conduct other business they have done for decades at the current location at 17 West 12th St.

“It will be the exact same access,” the publisher said. “Customers will be surprised to have a better aesthetic, or a better facility, to come in to. But they will be able to get the same services that they were able to get here in this location.”

For the 90 Ledger-Enquirer employees — about a third of them newsroom staffers — the building will be outfitted with the latest technology to help them break and monitor news around the clock, Mahone said. That will include more Internet bandwidth and flat-screen monitors and TVs.

At the same time, the newspaper will be leaving an aging office complex that has being targeted by Columbus State University for an expansion of its RiverPark campus. The university wants to purchase the property and locate its College of Education and Health Professions on the site.

Mahone said the acquisition process is ongoing, although he’s “very hopeful and very optimistic” that the Ledger-Enquirer and CSU will reach a deal by the end of this year.

The move to the Hardaway Building, however, will be made regardless, he said.

Ledger-Enquirer moving to Broadway's Hardaway Building | Business | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

[amyers3]

I didn't even know they had space in that building available, good for them - hopefully the CSU sale goes through. The building across the street just sold for $1.25 million.... dying to know what they're going to do with it (the old Aaron's building)

[OldRiverRd]

Do you know who bought it? Away from my computer

[amyers3]

Originally Posted by OldRiverRd

Do you know who bought it? Away from my computer

It was a new LLC formed this year and officers on LLC is a lawyer on Bradley Park Drive. Secrets!

[admedlin]

Huge change of scenery for them. They are going from I think it said 170,000 sq ft building to a 17,000 sq ft office building! But this sale will free up some capital, which they will in turn use to bump up their technology and internet bandwidth. Great deal for them

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by Columbuskidd92

Ledger-Enquirer moving to Broadway's Hardaway Building | Business | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

Wow, I can remember when there was a grocery store on that corner, and a smoky, somewhat sleazy looking "news stand" next to that. That part of Broadway has really gone through some changes!

[admedlin]

I am waiting on a signed contract to do their access control, CCTV, CAT6 cabling, data drops, and noise suppression in the building. It was really cool to walk through it during demolition and construction!

The Ledger will be taking over the front corner of the bottom floor and whole second floor of the Hardaway building. They are taking out all the offices on the sides of the second floor and turning it basically into a wide open cubicle area with offices in the center. When walking through, the drop tile was taken out and you could see all the original wood and piping running throughout the building. The baseboards are ORIGINAL from the 1800s! In the board room on the top floor, the table is made of the original beams before they added on to the building. There is a LOT of history in that building!

[Newsboy]

Where will the presses be? At the old location? Or somewhere new? They do a lot of commercial printing in addition to the daily Ledger- Enquirer and the Macon Telegraph.

[admedlin]

I have been dealing with an IT guy at McClatchey who said they will be printing in Montgomery now. His thoughts are that they will eventually do all printing out of Atlanta somewhere to distribute to Macon and Columbus.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by admedlin

I have been dealing with an IT guy at McClatchey who said they will be printing in Montgomery now. His thoughts are that they will eventually do all printing out of Atlanta somewhere to distribute to Macon and Columbus.

That's insane.