Gannett Building

Gannett Building is a historic industrial and commercial building located in Rochester in Monroe County, New York. It is a Classical Revival style structure constructed in 1927, with four major later additions. It was built to house the consolidated offices and newspaper printing facilities for the internationally prominent Gannett Newspapers chain.

Gannett Building
The Gannett Building in September 2017
Location55 Exchange St., Rochester, New York
Coordinates43°9′14″N 77°36′45″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1927
ArchitectHowell & Thomas
Architectural styleClassical Revival
MPSInner Loop MRA
NRHP reference No.85002862[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 4, 1985

One of the building's most visible features is a relief sculpture over the entrance of its east side. It was created by noted Italian sculptor Edmond Amateis. The work's central figure is Truth, guarding the eternal flame of enlightenment. The figures on the left are Fine Arts and Industry. On the right are Law and Agriculture.[2]

History

The five story 1949 addition was designed by Albert Kahn to house the printing presses until the presses were moved to nearby Greece and replaced in 1996. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1] and served as the world headquarters for Gannett until 1986.[3]

The building also formerly housed the local Democrat and Chronicle, one of largest papers in the Gannett chain from 1959 until 2016 as well as fellow original Gannett newspaper and later former sister evening paper The Times-Union from the opening of the building until the paper's demise in 1996.

Gannett Building east facade in 2010

In 2014 it was announced that Gannett was selling the Gannett building and moving the Democrat and Chronicle to a new building at the corner of Main Street and Clinton Ave on the former Midtown Plaza site. At 153,350 square feet (14,247 m2), the Gannett building is considerably larger than the new headquarters, which is 42,000 square feet (3,900 m2). The paper no longer needed the considerable space in the new digital age where newsprint in the United States is on the decline and the building which includes the space that formerly held the presses is expensive to maintain. The Gannett building is currently on the market for sale at an asking price of $3.5 million.[4] The Democrat and Chronicle moved to its new location on May 2, 2016.

Future

The Gannett Building post-Democrat and Chronicle is focused on office use. Developers plan to renovate the building into a full office building for multiple tenants with the added possibility of using the basement and former space that once held the presses as in building parking. The in building parking however that is dependent on the ability to use a portion of the former Rochester Subway which connects with the basement via two doorways formerly used to bring in printing paper for the presses as a vehicle entrance and exit to the in building parking area. The large, open floors make it attractive to tenants. Other possible uses include part residential and part ground floor retail.[5]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Image of Amateis sculpture
  3. "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2016-04-01. Note: This includes Ted Bartlett (August 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Gannett Building" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-01. and Accompanying two photographs
  4. "D&C announces plans for new downtown home". Democrat and Chronicle. October 29, 2013.
  5. Sharp, Brian (April 29, 2016). "Office use is future focus for 55 Exchange". Democrat and Chronicle.
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