Sacramento Observer newspaper to move to Del Paso Blvd. office space

Via The Sacramento Business Journal

After 50 years, the Sacramento Observer is moving to a new neighborhood. The 57-year-old African American newspaper announced this week it has begun tenant improvements on a new office space at 1815 Del Paso Blvd. in North Sacramento. “It really is part of a new direction for us as a media company,” said Larry Lee, president and publisher of the paper. Its current facility is a 10,000-square-foot office space located in Oak Park, the neighborhood where the newspaper has been based for 50 years. As company officials were discussing the future of the paper, they explored the possibility of moving. “We started to explore what a different kind of office space might look like and what a different location might look like, too,” Lee said. The 6,500-square-foot building will go through a $500,000 remodel into what Lee calls a “21st century newsroom.” “We will definitely be building in a studio there where we can do video and audio recording,” Lee said. Around 5,000 square feet will be office space, and the rest will be warehouse space. Lee said one of the things the company enjoys about its current space is its role as a gathering place for the community. Lee said that’s something they hope to replicate in the new space. “It is very exciting, we’re very happy and honestly just cannot wait to establish ourselves in North Sac,” Lee said. The weekly newspaper has 20,000 subscribers and a growing digital presence, Lee said. “We’re really trying to make sure that as we move into the new facility that we definitely have a strong digital presence, and the ability to engage with our community in a 21st century way,” Lee said. The building at 1815 Del Paso Blvd. is owned by Sacramento City Councilman Allen Warren. He purchased the property in 2017, after longtime owners of the Taber Furniture store retired and sold their space. Lee said the newspaper is interested in eventually purchasing its building outright.