LSJ moving to Knapp's Centre
LANSING – The Lansing State Journal will move its offices to the Knapp’s Centre in January.
The LSJ signed a 10-year lease to operate out of the third floor of the newly renovated downtown icon at 300 S. Washington Square, Suite 300. The Eyde Company, which owns the Knapp's Centre, bought the current LSJ building at 120 E. Lenawee St. on Nov. 12 for $400,000.
“It’s a brand new space with better technology, a better floor plan and open space to allow for more collaboration between departments,” said Brian Priester, LSJ’s president and publisher. “It's a logical step as we transition into a digital first organization.”
The Lansing State Journal has been headquartered on Lenawee Street since 1951. The building is 87,000 square feet, and once included printing presses.
"There’s a lot of history in this building,” Priester said. “A lot of great work was done here, but I think it’s time for a new chapter for LSJ. This building no longer suits our needs. We’ve been here for 65 years and a lot has changed over that time."
LSJ will occupy 18,000 square feet at the Knapp's Centre, Priester said. The tentative move-in date is Jan. 19.
How Lansing's historic Knapp's building was restored
As for 120 E. Lenawee St., the Eyde Company is exploring plans to redevelop it into a mixed-use building with apartments on the third floor and offices spaces on the rest.
“It’s a unique building,” said project developer Nick Eyde. “We want to open it up and see what the floor levels look like and find creative ways to bring more light into the building.”
Eyde said he intends on keeping the iconic fixtures of the building, such as the tiled state seal in the main lobby and the 5-foot-wide slice of "The Ancient Tree," a 137-year-old oak tree that was cut down in 1949 to make way for LSJ’s headquarters, according to its commemorative plaque. It was the last remnant of the Great Forest that once covered the area. The tree slice hangs in a frame above the staircase over the main lobby.
“When anybody walks in the building those are the first things they see,” Eyde said. “We’ll make sure those are still focal points.”
The Lansing State Journal, a Gannett company, will move 127 employees to the Knapp's Centre. Priester said the move will not affect service to any customers.
Contact Alexander Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.