BOSTON — Among the many changes that Christopher M. Mayer wanted to make when he became publisher of The Boston Globe in 2010 was to transform a particularly unattractive section of the newsroom.

Mr. Mayer wanted to fill in what he called “the center of the doughnut” on the second floor — acres of abandoned desks once occupied by more than 100 workers in the payroll, classified and advertising departments.

Those jobs have largely disappeared in recent years from The Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Company, and Mr. Mayer faces a situation familiar to many publishers around the country as their staffs shrink. While most newspapers lack cash, employees and a clear strategy for finding greater profits in the digital age, they do not lack for office space. Mr. Mayer embarked on a search for creative ways to use that space. As a result, The Globe has turned its empty offices into a public community space, bringing in start-up technology companies, bands visiting to perform for the company’s Internet station RadioBDC and special events like the programming code marathon it held for technology enthusiasts. The projects occupy what looks like a re-created living room, where a colorful mix of young entrepreneurs, gray-haired journalists and bands with names like the Street Dogs and Animal Kingdom pass through. Steps away, Globe reporters and editors pore over articles.

“You don’t want to underutilize an asset,” Mr. Mayer said in an interview in his roomy office. “I have a building here that we can use for a variety of things. Bringing bands in, bringing events here, it reminds us and folks in the community what we do.” While it is unclear how much revenue these new ventures will bring in, he said the new relationships help energize the workplace. It also helps the readers The Globe is trying to retain feel more engaged and connected with the newspaper.