Ogden Newspapers decides not to sell Maui News building

Maui County and Ogden Newspapers Inc. have agreed to end talks on the sale of The Maui News building in Wailuku that the county had been planning to buy for nearly $10 million.

The 6.3-acre parcel is located at 100 Mahalani Street across from the Cameron Center. The county had been mulling the purchase of the land and three buildings in hopes of expanding office space and saving on rent money.

In March 2021, the Maui

County Council passed legislation for the administration to acquire the 6.3-acre parcel for $9.8 million to be converted into needed office space.

“I gave it my best effort while we negotiated for months in good faith,” Mayor Michael Victorino said in a news release from the county on Friday afternoon. “But economic conditions improved, and in the end the company opted to retain ownership of their building. I’m disappointed for the county, but I’m also pleased for our home-grown newspaper.”

Maui News Publisher Chris Minford pointed out that the economy has been opening up and that things are “definitely picking up on Maui.”

“Bottom line is that the economy is doing better than it was a year, year and a half ago,” Minford said Friday afternoon.

He added that it was too soon to say what the company planned to do with the front building, which was vacated in preparation for a potential sale. He said Ogden has no plans to sell the building.

“I want to thank Mayor Victorino and the County of Maui for working with us on the proposed sale of The Maui News building,” Minford said. “We have decided to retain the real estate and continue to publish The Maui News from our current location. The Maui News has been an important part of the Maui community for more than 120 years. The paper will continue to be a valuable resource for our readers and advertisers for many years to come.”