We represent octagon $ABCDEFGH$ in the coordinate plane with the upper left corner of the rectangle being the origin. Then it follows that $A=(0,-6), B=(8, 0), C=(19,0), D=(27, -6), E=(27, -17), F=(19, -23), G=(8, -23), H=(0, -17), J=(0, -\frac{23}{2})$. Recall that the centroid is $\frac{1}{3}$ way up each median in the triangle. Thus, we can find the centroids easily by finding the midpoint of the side opposite of point $J$. Furthermore, we can take advantage of the reflective symmetry across the line parallel to $BC$ going through $J$ by dealing with less coordinates and ommiting the $\frac{1}{2}$ in the shoelace formula. 
By doing some basic algebra, we find that the coordinates of the centroids of $\bigtriangleup JAB, \bigtriangleup JBC, \bigtriangleup JCD, \bigtriangleup JDE$ are $\left(\frac{8}{3}, -\frac{35}{6}\right), \left(9, -\frac{23}{6}\right), \left(\frac{46}{3}, -\frac{35}{6}\right),$ and $\left(18, -\frac{23}{2}\right)$, respectively. We'll have to throw in the projection of the centroid of $\bigtriangleup JAB$ to the line of reflection to apply shoelace, and that point is $\left( \frac{8}{3}, -\frac{23}{2}\right)$
Finally, applying Shoelace, we get: 
$\left|\left(\frac{8}{3}\cdot (-\frac{23}{6})+9\cdot (-\frac{35}{6})+\frac{46}{3}\cdot (-\frac{23}{2})+18\cdot (\frac{-23}{2})+\frac{8}{3}\cdot (-\frac{35}{6})\right) - \left((-\frac{35}{6}\cdot 9) +\\(-\frac{23}{6}\cdot \frac{46}{3})+ (-\frac{35}{6}\cdot 18)+(\frac{-23}{2}\cdot \frac{8}{3})+(-\frac{23}{2}\cdot \frac{8}{3})\right)\right|$
$=\left|\left(-\frac{92}{9}-\frac{105}{2}-\frac{529}{3}-207-\frac{140}{9}\right)-\left(-\frac{105}{2}-\frac{529}{9}-105-\frac{92}{3}-\frac{92}{3}\right)\right|$
$=\left|-\frac{232}{9}-\frac{1373}{6}-207+\frac{529}{9}+\frac{184}{3}+105+\frac{105}{2}\right|$
$=\left|\frac{297}{9}-\frac{690}{6}-102\right|=\left| 33-115-102\right|=\left|-184\right|=\boxed{184}$
Solution by ktong
note: for a slightly simpler calculation, notice that the heptagon can be divided into two trapezoids of equal area and a small triangle.
Octagon $ABCDEFGH$ with side lengths $AB = CD = EF = GH = 10$ and $BC = DE = FG = HA = 11$ is formed by removing 6-8-10 triangles from the corners of a $23$ $\times$ $27$ rectangle with side $\overline{AH}$ on a short side of the rectangle, as shown. Let $J$ be the midpoint of $\overline{AH}$, and partition the octagon into 7 triangles by drawing segments $\overline{JB}$, $\overline{JC}$, $\overline{JD}$, $\overline{JE}$, $\overline{JF}$, and $\overline{JG}$. Find the area of the convex polygon whose vertices are the centroids of these 7 triangles.