Jeff Beckham

UPDATE: I came across another Texas newspaper in a similar position. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is about to put its historic downtown office building up for sale as the newspaper continues to cut costs.

Interesting tidbit near the end of today’s Statesman story about the paper’s search for a buyer. A significant portion of the value of a sale is the land that the Statesman sits on. The 18.8-acre tract at South Congress and Lady Bird Lake is appraised at $32.3 million. Today’s story says that “dozens of developers have approached Cox about the land … but none has been able to stomach the cost of moving the four presses.”

Cox won’t rule out selling the newspaper and land separately, he said, but it doesn’t intend to do so. “The highest and best use of the site is significantly more than what’s located there,” said Charles Heimsath, president of Capitol Market Research, an Austin real estate consulting firm.

It’s been odd enough to think about the Statesman under new ownership, but even odder to think about them not being in their familiar location.