The Rivard Report is relocating its offices after four years of calling the historic Rand Building home and witnessing blocks of empty buildings on East Houston Street evolve into a vibrant tech and business district.
The staff of the nonprofit, nonpartisan news website outgrew its sixth-floor offices three years ago, and more recently its larger second-floor offices at 110 E. Houston St., the former Wolff & Marx department store that Graham Weston purchased from Frost Bank in 2013. Weston renovated the building into a new home for Geekdom, Google Fiber, Weston Urban, and countless startups that have launched from the downtown address.
The Rivard Report‘s new offices are at 126 Gonzales St. in St. Paul Square and will allow the growing staff to triple its current space in a three-story red brick building that first opened as the Lone Star Hotel along the railroad tracks in the 1880s. The Rivard Report occupies the building’s first two floors.
“Geekdom is in our DNA, so we leave the Rand and Weston Urban with mixed feelings,” Rivard Report Editor and Publisher Robert Rivard said. “Our original startup work was in 2011 in the Weston Centre, where Geekdom also was born, and since then we have watched Graham Weston and team turn downtown vacancy into something truly dynamic.
“Everywhere you turn on this street you see growth and entrepreneurship thriving: Scaleworks, CodeUp, Jungle Disk, WP Engine, just to name a few companies that didn’t even exist five to 10 years ago, and now are thriving. We’ve had a front-row seat to watch the new Frost Bank Tower rise on the skyline.”
The eight-floor Rand and many of the surrounding buildings are now at or near full occupancy, so the hunt for ample space took the team farther east.
“The move to 126 Gonzales St. will provide our staff with more space to work and to grow, and afford us the opportunity to welcome and meet with civic groups, our donors and members, and many event partners,” said Jenna Mallette, Rivard Report’s chief operating officer. “Under REATA’s ownership and vision, the historic St. Paul Square area will become yet another downtown destination attractive to employers who want to provide a great place to work.”
Larger conference rooms will allow the Rivard Report to host civic, business, cultural, and neighborhood groups to discuss issues of community importance and interest.
“When I interviewed with Bob Rivard a couple of months ago, one of the things he was most excited about was the move to the new office building and the potential it offered for the growth of the business,” said Graham Watson-Ringo, the former expressnews.com executive producer who became the Rivard Report‘s managing editor in June. “To see that come to fruition and see the renewed energy from the staff is inspiring. I’m excited to begin plotting our new path there and not only growing as an editorial team but also watching and helping the community of St. Paul Square grow right along with us.”
A call to readers and members to help fund the move and defray the expenses of furnishing the expanded space led dozens of people to go online and contribute small sums to help. More than $4,000 in small donations have been raised, short of the total moving costs, but a significant gesture of support.
To donate securely, click here, or send a check to the Rivard Report, 126 Gonzales St., San Antonio, TX 78205.
