Purcell's Extreme Makeover: Herald and the South End

Pat Purcell, publisher of the Herald, has sold the Herald building and its land in the South End to a development group of which he is a part. Obviously the money-making potential of the paper pales in comparison to high-rent apartments and office space.

The Globe labels Purcell's move as an "effort to transform Herald assets into cash and to streamline the tabloid's operations." If we translate that phrase, it might mean that Purcell is using the Herald as an ATM.

The Dig asks if that land is really worth what Purcell and his partners think it will go for:

Both Herald Square and 275 Albany can be seen from the filthy windows at Dig HQ. Our windows are filthy because the neighborhood is filthy. And yeah, SoWa is wicked hot now and all. Several people have been conned into buying million-dollar condos down here. But trust us: the place is a shithole. Literally. It's not unusual to see human waste puddling on the streets.

We'll spare you the part about the gentleman using the parking lot as a toilet, but that description sounds about right. Don't forget the gas station with the bulletproof glass! Best of luck transforming all that into a hot condo paradise!

Now that the land and the building are sold, Purcell can outsource the printing - to a Dow Jones press or elsewhere. That means 100 jobs at the Herald are gone. Then the next step is relocating the Herald offices.

As for the paper's makeover, Adam Reilly at the Phoenix predicts that the Herald will slowly morph into something a lot like the Metro and Boston NOW - handed out at the T stops and free. Wait - the Herald hawkers are doing that now, only they're saying it's sponsored by someone else. They're just warming us up to the idea.

Did that little fella pictured up top get sold, too? Banner from the Herald's website.