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Sister dailies set for return to site of ‘spiritual home’

Three sister newspapers are set to return to a city centre headquarters on the street where its “spiritual home” of 76 years stood.

DC Thomson has announced its intention for its Aberdeen Journals titles to move into a new £107m development on Broad Street, Aberdeen, when it opens next year.

The move to the development, called Marischal Square, would see staff at sister dailies the Evening Express and the Press & Journal, as well as free weekly the Aberdeen Citizen, based just a stone’s thrown from Journals’ former Broad Street office.

The newspapers were based on Broad Street from 1894 to 1970, when they moved to Lang Stracht, almost three miles away on the outskirts of the city.

An artist's impression of the Marischal Square site

An artist’s impression of the Marischal Square site

The proposed move would see Journals taking a top floor of the development, which it says would allow staff in editorial, digital, advertising, marketing and commercial to work in a modern environment.

Negotiations are still taking place, but it is hoped the business could be in the new offices by next summer.

If the deal goes through, the business would join the Marriott Hotel group and All Bar One as confirmed tenants of the council-run project.

Journals editor-in-chief Damian Bates said: “This is is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to head back home; back into the city centre where we belong and where The Press and Journal started its amazing journey more than 270 years ago.

“We are now a multi-media business and this prospective move will provide a bright future for the Evening Express, P&J, Energy Voice and all our other products and sites. The council has been our landlord since approximately 1970 so nothing is going to change.

“There’s still a long way to go before a deal is done and we can start to plan any kind of move, but the overwhelming belief of the staff at Aberdeen Journals is this is a move we’re all incredibly excited about.”

Since May 2013, the papers have been printed in Dundee after a new multi-million pound system was installed at DC Thomson’s base, leaving the print hall at Lang Stracht lying empty.

It is estimated that bringing the 1970s building up to standard would cost millions.

DC Thomson chairman Andrew Thomson said: “We are excited to be considering a move back to the middle of the city.

“Aberdeen Journals has been based at the Lang Stracht for around 40 successful years, but the potential to return to the centre of Aberdeen provides our newspaper teams with a great opportunity to be at the heart of the city once again.”

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  • June 8, 2016 at 10:26 am
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    Why do these artists’ impressions never depict fat or old people in them?

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