Headquarters Of Desert Sun Newspaper Listed For $7.5M

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The Desert Sun's Gene Autry Trail headquarters in Palm Springs is up for sale for $7.5 million, the newspaper announced Friday.

The announcement comes after Gannett, the parent company of The Desert Sun, shifted the paper's printing operations to Phoenix last month.

"I am optimistic that we will find a wonderful new home for our newsroom that brings us closer to the community. And if the proceeds of the sale of the property can help sustain our journalism, then this is a prudent path," Executive Editor Julie Makinen said.

The paper will remain based in the Coachella Valley, and continue being printing seven days a week, she said.

The Desert Sun has been in business since 1927. The paper moved its operations to 750 N. Gene Autry Trail in 1989, not long after being purchased by Gannett.

The Desert Sun was actually birthed in Banning as a project of the owners of the Banning Record, who at the time included one page worth of Coachella Valley news in the paper.

Production consolidations, partnerships and building sales have become common in the news industry.

In August 2019 it was announced that New Media Investment Group, the parent of Gatehouse, had agreed to buy Gannett. The deal was completed in November of that year, and operations have continued under the Gannett name.

Several other Gannett newspapers in California have put buildings up for sale since New Media stepped in, including the Daily Press in Victorville and The Record in Stockton, both former GateHouse papers. The consolidation created the largest newspaper chain in the United States.

Gannett is the parent company of the USA Friday Network, which includes USA Friday and about other 260 daily publications.