Headquarters Moves to New Haven Launches New Era of Community Engagement in New Haven

After months of anticipation, Casey Family Services has completed the relocation of its Administrative headquarters from Shelton, Connecticut, to 127 Church Street, New Haven. The 40,000 square-foot historic Exchange Building at the southwest corner of the City Green now houses the agency's executive offices as well as the new The Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice and departments of field operations, finance, policy and planning, communications, human resources and IT. More than 40 administrative personnel are assigned to the new hub. In addition, the Foundation is operating its New Haven small grants program from the location as well.

Through a careful and rigorous process, which benefited from the assistance of the Mayor's office and other key New Haven officials, Casey considered several locations before choosing the venerable building at the corner of Church and Chapel streets as the ideal location.

The land bordering the southwest corner of the Green has been a prestigious location since 1638, when the Founders of the New Haven Colony divided the town into nine squares. This particular parcel was given to Matthew Gilbert, Deacon of the First Church (now Center Church) and the first Deputy Governor of the Colony,

Following the War of 1812 until the beginning of the Civil War, New Haven experienced unprecedented industrial and commercial growth. The Exchange Building became the first multi-story structure designed for commercial use in the City. It was built in 1832 as a four-story Greek Revival structure with identical facades on Church and Chapel streets, two of the city's main thoroughfares.

Topping the building was a simple molded cornice, with a large, domed cupola rising from the roof at the center of the Church Street facades. In years to come, the Exchange Building remained the cornerstone of New Haven's business district.

Several of the City's most prominent lawyers established offices in the building. Perhaps the occupant whose achievements are remembered best with great civic pride was Roger Sherman Baldwin, defender of the Amistad captives. The distinguished New Haven lawyer won their freedom in 1842 by proving that the Africans aboard the Amistad slave ship had been illegally brought to this country.

The building and the city eventually changed. From a period of economic strength, it entered a period of decline, as did most other Eastern centers of commerce and manufacturing. But n the 21st century, the city finds itself in the midst of a revival which some have called a renaissance.

For Casey Family Services, the relocation to the heart of the city represents a welcome and unprecedented opportunity to play a role in the City's growth. And while the proud edifice retains its original architectural grace, it also has been updated on the inside to accommodate the dynamic developing work of the Annie E. Casey Foundation including Casey Family Services. A hallmark of the new interior is a magnificent semi-circular staircase linking the three upper floors and accentuating the beauty of the cupola.

"We are eager to begin this new era of collaboration and partnership with the City of New Haven," stated Casey Family Services Executive Director Raymond Torres. "We are proud to become a part of a community served by civic-minded business and non-profit institutions, a strong mayor, a police force committed to supporting the city's downtown, and a fully engaged university of the highest caliber," he continued. "Casey already has strong relationships with Connecticut Voice for Children, the Yale Child Study Center and Yale-New Haven Hospital's Children's Psychiatric Services," he noted, "and we look forward to expanding our network."

The Mayor's Office has been welcoming and supportive of our arrival. At his invitation, Casey Family Services has co-sponsored the city's signature event, the New Haven Jazz Festival, for the past two years. The event attracts an audience of more than 30,000 Connecticut residents for each performance. Casey's participation has also included co-presenting a series of free neighborhood summer concerts, and scholarships for inner city children to attend a summer jazz camp.