Desirée Continues the Johnson Publishing Shake-up, Not Able to Score the Clubhouse

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Johnson Publishing Company, headed by Desirée Rogers will soon be leasing two floors in the same building as The Cliff Dwellers private arts club. It was initially announced that Desirée was planning on taking floors 20, 21 and 22 (the penthouse) at the Borg-Warner building. The Penthouse is where The Cliff Dwellers since 1996 have based their headquarters. Just recently The Cliff Dwellers were approached to re-sign a 15 year lease, meaning that Johnson Publishing Company was only taking the 20 and 21st floors.

Johnson Publishing Company, coming out of turbulent times recently decided to cut the fat and lean up, selling their larger offices at 800 S. Michigan to Columbia College, meaning a move to the Borg-Warner Building at 200 S. Michigan. This is one step of a phased plan where Desirée re-imagines Ebony. Late last year Ebony got a bit more tech-savvy found some extra cash, hired Sam Fine as the new Creative Director for Fashion Fair Cosmetics and via Leslie Hindman auctioned off a boat-load of Fashion Fair dresses. All these bits are good moves.

The bad news about all of this? The Cliff Dwellers as the name alludes, is an elite group of arty guys with an amazing penthouse clubhouse great for entertaining. If they were to give that up, they might as well change their name to something less fabulous, plus we imagine Desirée loves entertaining.
· Johnson Publishing Gives Up Top Floor of New Offices so Cliff Dwellers Will Stay Put [Crain's]
· ‘Ebony’ and ‘Jet’ Relocate to New Office; Former Tenants, Cliff Dwellers Club, Evicted [Rolling Out]
· The Cliff Dwellers [Official Site]
· Johnson Publishing Company [Official Site]