We’re moving to a new (nearby) home

Your hometown newspapers are moving offices to a new location near its over 70-year home in Patchogue.

As of this week, your hometown newspapers will operate out of 66A Medford Avenue, a building behind Coldwell Banker, in Patchogue.

For 68 years, The Long Island Advance has operated out of its office on 20 Medford Avenue in Patchogue, continuing its legacy of local reporting after publishing out of offices on North Ocean Avenue near Main Street during the early 20th century.

Terry Tuthill, publisher of The Long Island Advance, The Suffolk County News, Islip Bulletin, and The Tide of Moriches & Manorville, said the move is happening in part due to higher maintenance costs.

“I thought long and hard about selling the building; my family has owned the property since the late 1800’s,” Tuthill said. “While we have been fortunate to collect rent on a good portion of the building, it was starting to age and the cost of keeping it up was becoming unmanageable.”

Alongside higher costs, employees have worked more hours remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic, which, on top of consolidated positions, has left many office spaces empty.

“The building, since I came [in 2011], progressively kept getting smaller and we kept taking over less of it,” said Nicole Allegrezza, executive editor of your hometown newspapers. “I think it makes sense to not hold onto something that’s so large and taking up so much space for so much money for such a downsize.”

On Jan. 1, 1958, The Patchogue Advance (soon-to-be-named The Long Island Advance) moved from its North Ocean Avenue location, where the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce has operated, after the building, which also housed the paper’s printing press in its basement, was beginning to “burst at its seams,” according to Long Island Advance archives.

In 2011, The Suffolk County News and Islip Bulletin would also move into the 20 Medford Avenue building, which hosted numerous public and private tenants in its 68-year history.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Tuthill said. “Now, however, we’re in a small and cozy office just up the street that will be easy to run.”