Herald to move to Seaport

By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff

The Boston Herald plans to relocate to the Seaport District early next year, the newspaper’s publisher said today, abandoning its longtime headquarters in the South End for new office space in South Boston.

“It was very important to me that the Herald continue to make its home in the city of Boston.” Herald Media president and publisher Patrick J. Purcell said in a statement. The company has signed a 1o-year-lease at Seaport Center on D Street.

The newspaper will join a growing list of businesses moving into the waterfront area between Fort Point Channel, Summer Street and the Boston Marine Industrial Park, including ad agency Allen & Gerritsen and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

The Herald will occupy 51,000 square feet on two floors of the Seaport Center, according to a note sent to employees by Purcell today. The building was acquired by the Boston-based Beal Companies and Rockpoint Group in April 2006.

“While the move from our home for the last 53 years on Harrison Avenue is somewhat bittersweet, the amenities and efficiencies we’ll enjoy in the Seaport Center will be substantial,” Purcell wrote.

There are already plans to redevelop the Herald’s current headquarters, on the corner of Herald Street and Harrison Avenue. The two-story building was built in the 1950s.

In June, the Newton-based National Development, filed a proposal with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to transform the property into a mixed-use complex with retail stores, apartments, underground parking, and amenities that include public gardens and outdoor seating.