EVERETT — The former Daily Herald properties in downtown Everett were purchased by Skotdal Real Estate in a deal announced Thursday.
The price of the transaction was not disclosed.
“As a company and as a family, we’re committed to helping downtown Everett become a dynamic urban neighborhood where people can live, work, and play in one great place,” said Craig Skotdal, president of Skotdal Real Estate, in a statement. “The purchase of the Daily Herald properties creates opportunities, now and in the future, that can help achieve that goal.”
Skotdal, reached Thursday afternoon, said that his company and Graham Holdings Co., the former Washington Post Co., had mutually agreed that the only public statement about the sale would be made in a news release.
Phone calls to Graham Holdings were not returned.
Paperwork filed Thursday with the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office showed the assessed value of the land at $8.2 million.
Skotdal Real Estate obtains in the deal two city blocks with water views that total 4.39 acres along the western edge of downtown.
One parcel, located in the 2700 block of Grand Avenue, includes an 83,537-square-foot office building and a warehouse. A second parcel in the 2700 block of W. Marine View Drive is immediately to the west and includes a couple of older buildings.
The former Washington Post Co. purchased The Herald and the property in 1978 and operated the newspaper until 2013. That’s when the Washington Post Co. sold the newspaper to Sound Publishing Inc.
“The Washington Post Co. and Graham family have a long history of responsible stewardship in the Everett community,” Skotdal said. “Throughout their 35 years as owners of The Daily Herald Co., they invested in quality and took a long-term approach that made a positive difference in our community. That’s the same model we intend to follow.”
The Herald operated at the property until the newspaper staff moved out in the past couple of weeks, finishing up on Sunday. The Herald is now located in a newer building at 1800 41st St., S-300, Everett.
Skotdal Real Estate’s immediate plans for the former Herald property include leasing the available office and industrial spaces to businesses interested in relocating to downtown Everett. To do so, Skotdal Real Estate plans to renovate the existing buildings, which are more than 50 years old.
In the future, the company plans to redevelop the land.
“Our primary focus is to bring people back to the core of the city, and recruiting new businesses to downtown is a big part of that effort,” Skotdal said in the release.
In 2012, Skotdal Real Estate finished the 200-unit Library Place development on Hoyt Avenue. In January, Skotdal Real Estate announced plans to build a 102-unit apartment complex at Hewitt and Rucker avenues at the former Hertz Rent-A-Car lot.
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