There was a ribbon cutting this week to celebrate the opening of the Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center at Henry Street Settlement.
The newly renovated facility is located in a former firehouse building at 269 Henry St., adjacent to the settlement house’s historic headquarters. Engine Company 15 vacated the firehouse shortly after 9/11, relocating to Pitt Street. Â The structure had been vacant for years.
The large nonprofit organization is moving its Neighborhood Center from 281 East Broadway to the firehouse. A range of free services will be available, including screenings for government support programs (Supplemental Social Security, SNAP benefits, etc.), affordable housing counseling, employment services, health insurance enrollment and legal services. There’s also a Parent Center within the building.
After a decade long campaign, Henry Street acquired the firehouse from the city in 2017 for $1. The multi-million dollar restoration was part of a larger revamp of Henry Street facilities announced in 2014.
The Dale Jones Burch Neighborhood Center is named for a Henry Street Settlement board member and lead capital campaign donor. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, New York State Regional Economic Council’s Empire State Development Grants Program, New York City Council, the Manhattan Borough President’s Office, the Barker Welfare Foundation, Robert Mancuso, and Russell Grinnell Memorial Trust also provided funding.
