The Courier-Tribune office space is getting a new home in a former dentist's office near downtown Asheboro.

The Randolph County-based publication leases co-working space from VentureAsheboro, which recently left its former location on Dublin Square Road. VentureAsheboro's lease was soon to expire and its landlord had another interested renter.

VentureAsheboro co-founder Jonathan Thill said they moved into the Dublin Square Road building before COVID became a global pandemic. He remembers how landlord Dr. Tom Osteen was always gracious in working with the team during challenging times.

"While we are sad to leave such an amazing building, we are so very grateful for the opportunity to have called the Dublin Square building our home for the time that we could," Thill said.

If you’re not a subscriber, please support local journalism and consider a subscription.

As a business owner experiencing rapid growth, Thill was a little surprised and saddened to think that the momentum he had worked hard to build would dissipate.

The VentureAsheboro owner said they immediately began looking for a suitable alternative building, but all the options they could afford were not ready for move-in or required significant renovations.

"We had spent over $100,000 in rent and over $20,000 in renovations since opening our doors in 2018. And we knew that moving forward we would need to own our future building if VentureAsheboro was to have a permanent home in our community," Thill said.

Thill set out to meet with landlords, real estate agents and networked around town to scan available spaces. He eventually found a former dental office on MacArthur Street.

"The building was in fantastic condition, laid out perfectly for our needs and didn’t need significant renovations. We had found our new home," Thill said.

After agreeing on the price and other details, they finalized the purchase quickly and started painting and moving. From bid to moving in, the whole process took 30 days.

The new location is next to Randolph Health and is within walking distance of downtown Asheboro. Thill said the building is recently updated and is conveniently located.

Read more: What Randolph County residents should know about restaurant inspections. Here are popular restaurants that passed the test

"When looking for the perfect accelerator/co-working space, we often look for close proximity to local restaurants for lunch, convenient grocery stores and pharmacies for errands on the way home, and other common necessities," Thill said. "Work is only a part of our lives and we want VentureAsheboro to help our members keep a healthy work-life balance."

Inside the building, Thill created the same layout as the old location, with a reception area and nine offices in total. The building also has a rentable conference room that can hold 10 people, virtual office mailboxes and retro arcade games.

"Oh man, I am so excited to be home for good. We have had some amazing landlords, yet there is something special about knowing that the improvements we make are going to benefit us long-term directly," Thill said.

Thill further believes VentureAsheboro is a dynamic home for a dynamic newspaper. Since the Courier-Tribune will be in the heart of Asheboro, he is interested to see more local stories of business successes and events.

"As the Courier-Tribune staff returns to the office full-time in 2022, they’ll be embedded in a community of optimism and opportunity unlike anywhere else in Asheboro," Thill said. "We’re excited that 135 MacArthur Street will be where it all began for us again."

Tia'Lavon Hill, storytelling and content coach for the publication is pleased to continue the journey with VentureAsheboro as they transition into ownership of the new location.

"Going into the new year our goal is to do more stories about people, their journeys and impact on the community. It feels good to be a part of a place that shares that goal of encouraging community relationships, " Hill said.

Executive Editor Donnie Fetter said the publication enjoyed its brief relationship with the old building and is happy to continue in the new location.

Petruce Jean-Charles is a Government Watchdog Reporter. They are interested in what's going on in the community and are open to tips on people, businesses and issues. Contact Petruce at pjeancharles@gannett.com and follow @PetruceKetsia on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Courier-Tribune: The Courier-Tribune moves to a new location, looking forward to office