The Miami Herald has signed a lease on the sprawling former U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Doral, publisher and president David Landsberg announced.
The daily is relocating in May 2013 to the 158,265-square-foot space at 3511 NW 91st Avenue, which will be renamed One Herald Plaza at Wespointe Business Park. The newspaper's production building will be built on an adjacent six-acre lot, but it's going to take reporters a lot longer to reach courts and City Hall.
"This move represents a new era for the Miami Herald Media Company," Landsberg said. "We are excited about these modern and efficient facilities, which will provide our employees with a 21st century workplace to better serve the varied needs and demands of our customers."
As the former U.S. Southern Command Headquarters, the building is outfitted with plenty of bells and whistles to keep the newspaper printing even under duress. There are backup generators, bullet-proof glass, and a never-ending power supply system.
A recent memo from Landsberg noted that the paper was looking at office space in between the Palmetto and I-95, closer to government and business centers. And the South Florida Business Journal reported that the Herald had tried to move into a space along the Miami River, but the deal fell through.
Meanwhile, preservationists are trying to get the Herald's current building on Biscayne Bay designated an historic landmark before gaming consortium Genting Malaysia can build a mega-casino on the prime waterfront property.