Crews started clearing the way for significant downtown development Dec. 20, beginning to knock down The Lincoln Journal Star’s former building that was part of a 140-year history of newspaper publishing at the corner of Ninth and P streets.

The Journal Star operated from the building at 926 P St. in Lincoln for nearly 70 years before vacating the space at the end of August, but earlier versions of the newspaper have been produced there since 1881.

That’s when the Nebraska State Journal moved into a building at 900 P St.

For 14 decades, newspapers under various names distributed news from the city, state, nation and world to Lincoln residents from that block.

That included news of two world wars, great depressions and economic recoveries, presidential elections and assassinations, pandemics, infamous killers, terrorist attacks and national championships.

The Journal Star reports its old building is coming down to make way for a large apartment project on the downtown block linked to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, the Historic Haymarket and interstate access.

Trinitas Ventures has released few details of the development, other than its plans for two high-rise apartment towers, six stories on one end and 13 on the other. At more than 320 units, it’s likely the largest apartment project in downtown history.

The company has said it hopes to have the building completed in time for the start of classes at UNL in August 2023.

The Journal Star will soon be moving into new offices in the rapidly expanding Telegraph District. Work continues on the new space, and an exact move-in date has not yet been set.

“Our 926 P Street location holds history and fond memories,” said Publisher and President Ava Thomas. “But our new space fits our evolving business and better equips us to deliver news however and whenever readers want it.”

When it moves into its new space early next year, the Journal Star will occupy portions of two floors of the Telegraph Lofts East building at 200 N. 21st St. and will include a new photo and video studio to enhance the company’s multimedia efforts.

“We have the chance now to set up our operation to deliver content efficiently digitally and in print, and we have room to innovate and evolve as technology and reader habits change,” Thomas said.

Meanwhile, the majority of Journal Star employees are working from home.

Many other employees are working from a temporary location at 1135 M St., which was for many years home to The Lincoln Star before it merged operations with the Lincoln Journal.

This story first appeared in The Lincoln Journal Star. It was distributed as a member exchange story by The Associated Press.

Highlights From the 140 Years

of Lincoln Newspaper History

• In 1881, State Journal employees moved into a new three-story building on the northeast corner of Ninth and P.

• Noted Nebraska author Willa Cather worked for the State Journal from 1893-1896 as its fine arts critic.

• State Journal writer “Cy” Sherman coined the term “Cornhuskers” for the University of Nebraska football team in 1900.

• The Lincoln Daily Star opened in 1902.

• The Lincoln Star and Lincoln Evening Journal started collaborating in 1931 because of financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. Each paper took a minority investment in the other and they merged their Sunday editions.

• The Nebraska State Journal won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1949 for its sponsorship of a unique all-star presidential primary for the 1948 election.__ The owners of the Star and Journal merged their non-editorial operations in 1950, forming the Journal-Star Printing Company. The newspaper staffs continued competing and producing their own daily editions from new headquarters at 926 P that opened in 1952.

• In March 1995, Lee Enterprises bought the Lincoln Journal from the Seacrest family. The two papers published their final, separate daily editions Aug. 4, and the first daily Journal Star published Aug. 7.

• The Journal Star opened a 110,000-square-foot production building, with a new press, on the corner of Ninth and Q in 2000.

• In April 2019, the printing of the Journal Star moved to the Omaha World-Herald, and the production building was purchased by Drury Development in March 2020. That building still stands, and it’s unclear what Drury’s plans are at this point.

• Trinitas Ventures agreed to buy the Journal Star building at 926 P St. in November 2019.