The last copies of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times were printed on Saturday per an article in the Tribune behind a paywall. Production of both papers is now at the Daily Herald printing press in Schaumburg which Tribune parent Alden Group acquired last year. Print production of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal will continue at the Freedom Center for two more weeks.
Some printing press operators were offered jobs at the Daily Herald plant or buyouts. Most seem to take a buyout as the ones interviewed were in their 60s and did not want to make a long commute on toll roads to reach Schaumburg. The editorial staff, reporters, photographers, etc., will be relocated from their offices at the Freedom Center to new leased space in the Loop.
The last boxcar was pulled from the Freedom Center by UP on April 30.
By July 1 the Freedom Center printing center has to be vacated for the new Bally's casino to start demolition work in preparation for the new casino.
For those of us of a certain age it is a sad part of history. I can recall even into the early 2000s that there used to be rows of boxcars of newsprint lined up at the Grand Avenue Yard for the Tribune. I used to look forward to catching a glimpse of them while taking Metra in and out of Chicago on the UP NW Line.
Once Blommer is done it will be interesting to see what UP does with the Low Line and whether the City of Chicago will acquire it to be a bike trail.
