EL PASO

El Paso Times print building for sale to city of El Paso

Anthony Jackson
El Paso Times

The City Council will vote Tuesday whether to approve the city's purchase of the El Paso Times printing press building for $3.6 million, according to a council agenda posted Thursday.

More:City of El Paso breaks ground on Mexican American Cultural Center, Main Library renovation

More:What you need to know about El Paso's upcoming city and county district commissions

Printing press operations ceased Monday as print operations were sent across the border to Juárez.

Laura Cruz-Acosta, spokesperson for the city of El Paso, said if City Council approves the sale, the property would "serve a significant public purpose" and centralize more services and offices to one physical location.

Cruz-Acosta said the city and Gannett, the Times' parent company, discussed the proposed sale of the building in June. 

After being informed by Gannett, the Times announced on Sept. 10 that the paper's printing and packaging operations would be moved to Paso del Norte Publishing in Juárez

“Like many businesses, our office space needs have shifted significantly, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an evolution in how we work," a Gannett spokesperson said. "The El Paso Times remains firmly committed to serving our readers and advertisers, as the community’s preeminent source of news and information.”

El Paso production employees are receiving help with searching for new jobs, a Sept. 10 Times article read.

An El Paso Times printing press worker talks on the phone days after the printing plant produced its last newspaper before printing operations moved to Juárez.

More:El Paso International Airport shines in school colors for October Night Lights 2021

More:New El Paso bar franchise Mutts Canine Cantina goes to the dogs in 2022

The press building, located at 501 Mills Ave., is next door to the current City Hall.

In 2012, the city purchased the then-El Paso Times building for its new City Hall, demolishing the former City Hall to make room for a Triple-A baseball stadium, now known as Southwest University Park. The transaction cost more than $9 million. In 2012, the value of the building and lot were $10.3 million, according to a Times report.

The mailroom in the El Paso Times print building.

Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.