Rochester, N.Y. – The Democrat and Chronicle newspaper says its current building which stands at the corner of Exchange Boulevard and Broad Street no longer fits its needs.
The building was built 85 years ago and is known to many as a staple in the community.
For Burr Lewis, the building means so much more.
“It symbolizes my whole life,” Lewis said.
Up until his retirement, for 34 years Lewis' job was to capture a story with a lens for the Times Union and Democrat and Chronicle.
Lewis was fresh out of the Vietnam war at the age of 25, with little experience when he started his job with the paper.
“When I got to Rochester, to me Rochester was a big city,” Lewis said. “I was scared that I was not qualified to do what I was hired to do.”
Lewis proved himself, winning thousands of awards, covering a multitude of stories.
While news of the building's sale was not surprising, Lewis says it's still upsetting.
“It's sad to see,” Lewis said. “It's just a progression of the times.”
The D&C building became Lewis’ home and for so many in the Rochester area.
And while many are sad to see the paper move from its historic site, they hope it will stay downtown.
“I think it's sad, they've been around here for a long time,” D&C subscriber Jason Knapp said. “I work right across the street so it's nice to walk by and see the building and I hope they stay really close.”
“I think this part of town will suffer from that because we're proud to be near the D&C,” D&C subscriber Sherry Kraus.
A spokesperson for the D&C says so far, they don’t have a location but says they are committed to staying downtown.
It's also not known who will move in once the paper moves out.
Already, people have ideas on what they'd like to see.
“I hope something historic. With a building like that, it looks old, it would be nice to see some older company move in,” Knapp said.
“I can't see anything in there but renovations and condos or some kind of loft apartments,” Lewis said.
President of the Downtown Development Corporation, Heidi Zimmer-Meyer says the idea of loft apartments is not far off.
Rochester Mayor Thomas Richards tells 13WHAM News that the city will do everything it can to help the D&C find a new home.
Mayor Richards says there are several possibilities in terms of locations; he says he’s not ruling out Midtown.
The real estate firm CBRE, Rochester is helping the D&C make its move.
CBRE says a sale price hasn’t been listed.
They hope to have a new location by mid-2014.
