Westerly Sun sells building on Main Street

Westerly - The Washington Trust Co. is purchasing the building at 56 Main St. that houses the Westerly Sun, the newspaper reported Friday.

The Sun's offices will move in September to 99 Mechanic St. in Pawcatuck, the former Harris Graphics building.

Washington Trust is also buying the 4 Union St. home of the Blue Mitten thrift store, the newspaper said. A June closing date is scheduled.

Tim Ryan, president and publisher of The Sun, had announced in March that the properties were for sale. He said then that the newspaper's news, advertising and circulation operations were using less than a third of the space available at its headquarters.

Ryan said then that The Sun had considered renovating its headquarters but eventually decided the project was too costly. Instead, the company decided to invest money in a five-year, $1 million technology upgrade.

The newspaper is owned by The Record-Journal Publishing Co. of Meriden and published in Attleboro, Mass.

While the newspaper offices will be in Pawcatuck the newspaper will remain The Westerly Sun, Ryan said in Friday's edition.

Washington Trust did not announce any plans for the The Sun building, which was built in 1874.