In Boston, community projects make use of empty office space

The Boston Globe newspaper is leasing out its unused real estate to local businesses and art projects.

We’ve already seen the The New York Times offer media startups office space and advice. Now the Boston Globe is leasing out its empty office space to local businesses and art projects. Due to the economic downturn and shifts in the media industry, the long-standing daily has shed staff in recent years, leaving part of its second-floor office space uninhabited. According to reports, the paper is now inviting residents from the city – including tech startups and local bands – to make use of the facilities. The company’s Internet station RadioBDC operates from the building, as well as a majority of the newspaper’s writing staff, and the Globe is hoping to spark networking opportunities as well as creating awareness of local talent. The newspaper does not generally charge rent and instead seeks ways in which it can benefit from partnerships. The idea is helping the newspaper forge greater links with the community it serves, as well as making use of otherwise wasted real estate. As the publishing industry struggles, are there other private spaces that could benefit from being opened up for public use? Spotted by: Hemanth Chandrasekar