January 9, 2017 – Hearst Connecticut Media Group announced Wednesday it is centralizing its group headquarters at 301 Merritt 7 Corporate Park in Norwalk. Its five daily publications — the Connecticut Post, based in Bridgeport; The Hour, of Norwalk; The Advocate, of Stamford; Greenwich Time; and The News-Times, based in Danbury — will maintain local reporting and advertising staffs in local offices.
“After many years in the making, we will soon be able to move into a new regional corporate headquarters where we can solidify our presence and continue to offer the most diverse set of digital and print solutions available in any local market to serve business customers,” said Paul Barbetta, group publisher and president of Hearst Connecticut Media Group, and senior vice president of circulation for Hearst Newspapers.
Merritt 7 will serve as the main location for senior management as well as the finance, human resources and circulation departments, plus additional corporate functions. The move into about 30,000 square feet is planned for April.
Current headquarters buildings for The News-Times and Connecticut Post are for sale.
“We remain committed to maintaining dedicated community dailies with local reporting and sales resources remaining in local offices,” Barbetta said.
Hearst Connecticut Media, a division of Hearst Newspapers, also publishes six weekly newspapers: Darien News, New Canaan News, Westport News, Fairfield Citizen, Wilton Villager and Greater New Milford Spectrum.
“Merritt 7 is a superb, centralized location for Hearst’s Connecticut regional headquarters,” said Jo Ann McGrath, director of leasing for Merritt 7. “The large block of space we had available for Hearst, the property amenities, along with our hands-on ownership and management team were important factors in sealing this deal. The property is widely known for a roster of high-end corporate tenants, considered the best of the best in the region.”
The landlord was represented internally by McGrath and David Fiore of Marcus Partners, and the outside CBRE leasing team of Tom Pajolek, Ned Burns, Robert Caruso and Stephen Greenbush. Tom O’Leary and William Montague of Cushman & Wakefield represented Hearst. Signature Construction Group will handle the build-out and Antinozzi Associates is the architect designing the space.
In March, Hearst Connecticut Media Group announced the acquisition of The Hour and Wilton Villager newspapers and digital assets from The Hour Publishing Co., folding into its coverage the last city in Fairfield County where it did not have a daily newspaper.
Hearst Newspapers publishes 17 daily and 58 weekly papers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union.
This article was featured in the CT Post.