The Gannett Building is a commercial and residential structure located at 55 Exchange Boulevard in Rochester, New York. Constructed in 1927 in the Classical Revival style, it was built to house the consolidated headquarters and newspaper printing facilities for the Gannett Newspapers chain. The building features a relief sculpture over the entrance of its east side created by Italian sculptor Edmond Amateis. The central figure is Truth, guarding the eternal flame of enlightenment, with figures representing Fine Arts and Industry on the left, and Law and Agriculture on the right.
The building originally housed the Rochester Times-Union and served as the headquarters for Gannett. In 1949, a five-story addition designed by Albert Kahn was built to house the printing presses. The Democrat and Chronicle moved into the building in 1959. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and served as the world headquarters for Gannett until 1986. In 1997, the printing presses were moved to nearby Greece, and the Times-Union ceased publication, leaving the Democrat and Chronicle as the sole occupant.
In 2014, it was announced that Gannett was selling the building and moving the Democrat and Chronicle to a new site at the corner of Main Street and Clinton Avenue. The Gannett Building, measuring 153,350 square feet, is considerably larger than the new 42,000 square foot headquarters. The move was prompted by the declining need for newsprint space in the digital age and high maintenance costs. The building was listed for sale at $3.5 million in April 2014.
Following the departure of the newspaper in May 2016, the building was renovated to house 94 one and two-bedroom lofts along with commercial space under the name The Edmond. It remains a National historic landmark in the heart of Rochester.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
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