Wall Street Journal plant closes

After nearly 50 years of printing the Southern California edition of the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Co. has shuttered its Riverside printing facility. Along with the WSJ, the facility has also printed the regional editions of Barron’s Weekly and, more recently, the New York Post.

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Signage

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Entrance

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Overview
Bing Maps

The Riverside operation is one of several regional printing facilities recently closed by Dow Jones & Co. as part of restructuring due to decreased print demand and the signing of printing contracts with local newspapers. Other plants shuttered include those in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, and Des Moines, IA. Locally, it appears the Los Angeles Times has taken over printing of the regional edition of the WSJ.
The Riverside plant began operations in 1961/62. City permits issued in the summer of 1961 show the building comprising 29,542 sq. ft. with an approximate value of $440,000. Its location atop a small hill near Riverside Municipal Airport helped the plant keep a relatively low profile, with many residents vaguely aware of its existence.
At one point, Dow Jones — which became part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. media empire in 2007 — held a minority interest in the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper. In 1996, however, Dow Jones sold its 21.5% stake in The Press-Enterprise to Dallas-based Belo Corp., which eventually bought the regional newspaper from its longtime owners, the Hays family, in 1997.
No word yet on what is to become of the
well-manicured Riverside WSJ facility and surrounding land, both of which are reportedly owned by Dow Jones. However, the plant’s closing is likely to be felt at Riverside-based Wall’s Hauling. The small, family-owned business has delivered the Wall Street Journal — its largest client — throughout Southern California since the Riverside facility opened.
Related

• Editor & Publisher – UPDATE: Dow Jones Closing Riverside Plant (Aug. 18, 2009)

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Sleek lines

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Chic ashtray

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Landscaping

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Parking

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Trucking docks

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Rail spur

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Rail dock

Sources: The Press-Enterprise, Los Angeles Times, City of Riverside