By Holly Dutton
One of the oldest and largest family service agencies in the city is modernizing its offices, freeing up space for a new tenant they hope to woo.
The Foundling, which has been helping needy New York families since 1869, sold the first six floors of its 14-story Manhattan office headquarters at 590 Avenue of the Americas to the city in 2007.
That space is in the throes of being converted to an elementary school by the NYC School Construction Authority. The 575- student school is expected to open in September 2014,
Now, Bill Baccaglini, CEO of the Foundling, said a re-modelling of The Foundling space in the building will free up the top three floors.
“We thought we might be able to more efficiently use the space as a bullpen office,” said Baccaglini. “As it turns out, we wound up being able to move 60 percent more people in an open environment than our in our current configuration.”
The renovations to the organization’s eight floors will effectively consolidate its space so the top three floors can be rented out, a move that is expected to bring in between $650,000 and $750,000 of yearly revenue which will go toward the services offered by the Foundling, said Baccaglini.
“I feel that we have an obligation as a non-profit to be as efficient as we can in use of our space and not use more than we need or less than we need,” said Baccaglini. “We see it as a win-win all around.”
The agency would prefer another non-profit to be the future tenant, and is estimating the rent will be set at $40-50 psf, said Baccaglini.
The 15,000 s/f space will have a keyed elevator that only the tenant will have access to, as well as an Avenue entrance.
Architecture firm Gerner Kronick & Valcarcel and Signature Construction Group are completing the Foundling renovations.
The flour-floor Foundling office plan will include break-out “huddle” rooms for private and semi-private meetings, private phone booths for confidential calls, open trade-floor-like bench seating, a new medical suite for children and families in the child welfare system, remodeling of the crisis nursery center, and upgraded living quarters for pregnant teens and young mothers.
Renovations are expected to be completed by May 2013.
