Preserving History
From the Winter 2004 issue of Voice, the quarterly publication of Casey Family Services.

As several Casey divisions move into larger, neighborhood facilities, great strides have been made in preserving, even enhancing, the historical integrity of each building. In fact, the Baltimore and Rhode Island divisions recently won accolades in architectural competitions.

In Baltimore, the 1925 trolley substation still retains a "train station" feel with a catwalk hovering over the lobby and exposed pipes decorating conference rooms. The facility was the only project to receive top honors this fall in design competitions sponsored by two groups, the Baltimore Chapter and the Maryland Society Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Casey was honored with the Michael F. Trostel Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and, in the statewide program, was one of three honor award recipients.

The building was abandoned when Casey discovered the treasure. When Casey representatives visited the site, the facility was "sitting in a field of weeds," Diane Cho, principal in charge of the project for Cho Benn Holback, told The Baltimore Sun in a recent article. "They were attracted to this building because of its location and its history," she said. "They like saving old buildings."

Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Division has won a gold award in the Ninth Annual Rhode Island Design Awards for commercial interior design. Once a buckle factory, the 30,000-square-foot building now houses private offices, a commercial kitchen and a future family resource center. A panel judge commented on the transformation of the building's interior after a complete demolition and renovation, "A little village now exists inside a big warehouse."