The Astorian will conduct news and advertising operations in new quarters, as its building and production facility on Exchange Street has been listed for sale.

Kari Borgen, The Astorian’s publisher, said the company remains committed to local journalism and providing vital local news and information on the North Coast.

“We will be looking for a central location to continue to be accessible to our customers,” Borgen said. “This newspaper has been here for Astoria since 1873 — in several different locations. Our commitment to provide credible, quality local news, advertising and information to Clatsop County is unchanged, regardless of the building we work from.”

Home to the newspaper since 1970, the property covers half a city block on Exchange between Ninth and 10th streets, including an 11,044-square-foot office for the newsroom, advertising and production staff. The property is listed with commercial real estate broker Bell Cornerstone for $1.5 million.

The print and packaging operations will move to the company’s Lakewood, Washington, printing facility by the end of the year. Production staff have been offered positions at that plant. The newspaper’s printing press has served The Astorian, the Chinook Observer and the Seaside Signal, along with other newspapers and commercial clients in the region.

Newsgathering, administrative and advertising staff will continue to work from Astoria in a location to be determined.

The trend in the newspaper industry has been to centralize printing operations in fewer, more efficient press locations and to reduce the size of newspaper office footprints. In April, former owners EO Media Group sold the office housing the Chinook Observer in Long Beach, Washington, and the Observer staff in the area now work remotely.

Mississippi-based Carpenter Media Group acquired The Astorian and other EO Media Group newspapers in November. Last year, Carpenter Media Group purchased Black Press Media, which has publications and operations in Canada, Hawaii and Washington state, including the Sound Publishing facility in Lakewood.

“Rather than investing in real estate, our goal is to invest in local journalism so we can provide the communities we serve with the best possible news coverage and advertising services,” said John Carr, Carpenter Media Group’s vice president for Oregon.

With that in mind, Carr said, the company will either seek new office space for The Astorian’s staff in a convenient and prominent location in the community or will lease back the current space from the building’s new owner once a sale is completed.

The current office at 949 Exchange St. remains open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call The Astorian at 503-325-3211 or email news@dailyastorian.com.