Why we’re moving
The Westchester headquarters of Today Media is getting a new home. The publisher of the area’s esteemed family of upscale regional publications, including Westchester Magazine, Westchester Home Magazine, Westchester Weddings Magazine, and 914INC. Magazine—the newest member of our media family—has been leasing office space at 100 Clearbrook Road in Elmsford for 10 years. Publisher Ralph A. Martinelli believes it was time to make a move. “For nearly the same amount of money that we’ve been paying to lease, we thought we could purchase a building,” explains Martinelli. “We also wanted to consolidate our editorial, production, IT, sales, and marketing staffs—now in two separated spaces—under one roof, making it easier to coordinate and collaborate.”
Why Rye? “We must have looked at more than twenty properties over several years,” Martinelli says. “We chose Rye because we got the most attractive price on a building that had been on the market for an extended time. It just worked for us!”
Where we’re moving
Our new destination, a two-story building within minutes of downtown Rye, was formerly home to Altheus Health and Sport, a full-service health club and performance center. “The building had a lot of open space, fitness equipment, showers, massage rooms,” says Martinelli. “It was not set up for office space.” Completely retrofitting the building to meet our needs would be no easy task.
Our challenge
Our most pressing challenge: transforming a former health and fitness center for a publishing workout instead of a fitness workout. A fully functioning publishing office called for formal offices (including both private offices and cubicle workspaces), along with spaces to meet, collaborate, host client presentations and meetings, and on occasion, host events.
Our vision
When the work to retrofit our new workspace is complete, we’ll have:
· More space
Former office in Elmsford: 9,300 square feet in two separated areas of one leased floor.
New office in Rye: 13,500 square feet cohesively connected under one roof—ours.
· Improved space
Our new office space will feature three levels of workspace organized for improved flow and shared areas for our editorial, production, IT, sales, and marketing staffs to connect and collaborate while delivering the exceptional print, digital, custom communications products and related events that have become our hallmark.
· Green space
From plumbing to lighting, our goal is to have as many green elements as possible balanced with an effective work environment. That includes an energy-efficient roof, efficient heating and air conditioning system that can be individually controlled within each office, energy-efficient fluorescent lighting with occupancy sensors, water-saving plumbing, low VOC paint, and cost-saving features, such as repurposing office furniture from our Elmsford office.
· Functional and fun space
We’re putting the fun in functional! Our workspace will not only inspire us to fulfill all the challenging tasks inherent in producing our award-winning publications and our state-of-the-art custom publishing division, but also provide space that is both practical and fun. It will be equipped with formal offices, as well as room to brainstorm, meet with our clients and each other, hang out for lunch, or just take a break—spaces all designed to ignite our creative juices, and inspire our productivity. Gone are make-do solutions, such as the conference that doubled as a space for taking photos when necessary. We’ll have a fully outfitted official photography studio with all the bells and whistles.
· Our very own space
Best of all—the workspace and the building it’s housed in will be ours. Like proud first-time homeowners, we can call it our very own.
Our team
Every major renovation has a dream team on board to bring the creative vision to life. We’re no exception. The go-to team of experts we assembled includes the best in the industry, starting with our architect, our general contractor, and our nonprofit partner.
Tecton Architects—our architect
Who better to find a workable solution to the challenge of configuring our new workspace than Tecton Architects, Inc., the acclaimed Hartford-based architecture and interior design firm. With its deep knowledge and experience in designing workplace environments for large corporate clients, including Dannon’s White Plains headquarters, we knew we would be in good hands. Recognized for being at the forefront of alternative workplace design, creating collaborative spaces, and enabling wireless technology, Tecton was up for the job. As in other complex projects, our Tecton team, led by Jeffrey Wyszynski, principal, would guide us through innovative solutions to our unique challenges.
Murphy Brothers Contracting—our general contractor
Fortunately, we could turn to Murphy Brothers Contracting, the seasoned high-end general contracting and construction management firm based in Mamaroneck with brothers Chris Murphy and Sean Murphy at the helm, to manage all aspects of our massive renovation from beginning to end. Murphy Brothers not only brings a wide range of essential skills, experience and expertise, but also its long-standing relationships with the area’s best craftsmen, trades people, and design professionals to benefit our project. Its long-standing relationships also include our company—we successfully partnered with Murphy Brothers in building our 2009 Dream Home in Armonk. The firm’s distinctive portfolio spans the border of New York and Connecticut and includes distinctive custom homes and clubs nestled along the shore of Long Island Sound.
Habitat for Humanity of Westchester—our nonprofit partner
We also knew there was no better steward of the housing industry to partner with than Habitat for Humanity of Westchester that for 22 years has been sheltering Westchester’s needy with honor, heavy lifting, and heart. Living up to its founding vision of “a world where everyone has a decent place to live,” Habitat for Humanity inspires people from all walks of life to work together in partnership to build houses with families in need. Fueled by thousands of volunteers, the organization works tirelessly to eliminate poverty-level housing and homelessness throughout Westchester, and to make respectable, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and public action as one of the more than 1,000 active affiliates throughout the country.
