Okay but when is the Columbia Daily Spectator going to get an office?

The Columbia Daily Spectator, Columbia and Barnard’s lovable weekly “daily newspaper” and perpetual op-ed machine, is to shortly move out from their old building at 2875 Broadway, which was located between 111th and 112th—conveniently adjacent to the Heights. According to an email sent earlier this evening to Spectator alumni, which is appended below, “the landlord has asked the University to relocate the various student organizations in the building, but made a firm decision to no longer allow students to occupy space in the building this year.” The email speaks little of the landlord’s motivation in removing Speccies from the building, but sources familiar with Spec’s now-defunct office space refer to ongoing construction within the building as perhaps the primary reason for the landlord suddenly ejecting the Spectator from their offices.

As far as what the future holds for Spec, little is certain. The announcement circulated to Spec alumni claims that while “the University has shown [Spec] a few spaces to relocate to, we have yet to find one that adequately meets our space requirements, and we are moving into a swing space at the end of this month as a permanent home for Spectator is finalized.” Nevertheless, Bwog received a tip earlier this week describing Spec’s imminent move, characterizing the relocation as “their landlord kicking them out,” and alleging that “it’s a sensitive subject for everyone working there.” However, Bwog couldn’t locate any public eviction records, implying that the move is more-or-less wholesome in nature.

While the alumni email does not deign to mention the specific location where Spec will be temporarily located, our source claims that Spec will be housed in the Nash building at 133rd and Broadway. The Nash building is located across from the Studebaker building, on the eastern side of Broadway, and Columbia’s interactive Manhattanville map identifies it as an office space which is part of the new Manhattanville campus. Whether Spec will suffer from its new location in this transition space, which some consider annoyingly far-removed from Columbia’s undergraduate population, remains to be seen.

Letter Circulated To Spec Alumni

Dear Spectator alumni,

We have some important news to share: Spectator will be moving out of its office at 2875 Broadway at the end of this month.

2875 has been home to thousands of Speccies. So many of us have spent more time there than our dorms—breaking news, poring over story edits, and working together in the late hours of the night (or more likely, the early hours of the morning). It has been a wonderful home to us and we’ll miss it, but we’re looking forward to making a new space our own.

Our office in 2875 Broadway is part of space that Columbia has leased from a private owner. For a number of years, the landlord has asked the University to relocate the various student organizations in the building, but made a firm decision to no longer allow students to occupy space in the building this year. As a result, the University moved out other students in the building last spring, and we were made aware of the landlord’s decision after the end of the spring semester. Though the University has shown us a few spaces to relocate to, we have yet to find one that adequately meets our space requirements, and we are moving into a swing space at the end of this month as a permanent home for Spectator is finalized.

We know how many memories have been made at 2875, so we’d like to offer alumni and current students the chance to walk through the office one last time. We are holding open office hours from 12-3 p.m. on Saturday. If you would like to attend, please RSVP here.

Needless to say, Spectator is not defined by the space we’re in, but by the work we do and the staff who commit themselves to making it excellent. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to shape our new space for future generations of Speccies, to create more memories in our new home, and to continue the work that we’ve been doing since 1877.

And if you have any questions or concerns about the move, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at cb@columbiaspectator.com.

We hope to see you on Saturday to help us commemorate our time at 2875 and celebrate our next chapter.

Sincerely,

Catie Edmondson, Editor-in-Chief

J. Clara Chan, Managing Editor

Anurak Saelaow, Publisher