The Friends Center for Children has purchased two more buildings in New Haven, in addition to the recent Cine-4 theater acquisition, all of which will provide space for expanding early-childhood educational programs and services in the city.
The Friends Center bought properties in Westville at 881-883 Whalley Ave., for $1.99 million from 881 Whalley LLC and principal Schmuel Aizenberg in a deal recorded Sept. 1.
One property is a two-story former residential-turned-office building with more than 5,000 square feet of space. The other building is a one-story, multi-tenant retail space of more than 6,800 square feet.
The Friends Center is a year-round, full-time facility that provides early childhood care and education for children from infants to 5 years old.
Executive Director Allyx Schiavone said she has been searching for years to find appropriate space for the expanding child care center’s needs and to better serve all areas of New Haven.
In early August, the group bought the former Cine-4 movie theater at 25 Flint St. for $1.3 million, which will be renovated into the center’s central office, libraries, screening room and teacher-training space.
In addition to the Cine-4 and Whalley properties, the organization will also occupy some of the new ConnCORP Plaza on Dixwell Avenue in the Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven as well as an East Grand Street location that was purchased several years ago.
Affordable options needed
Accessible and affordable child care is a critical need right now since “New Haven is a childcare desert,” Schiavone said.
“For every 10 New Haven families looking for infant and toddler care, there are only two spaces available. These spaces are dramatically unaffordable for families and vary drastically in terms of quality and hours.”
Schaivone said that in order for child care to be considered affordable according to the U.S. Treasury Department, a New Haven family with one infant-toddler must have an annual income of $315,000, she said. New Haven’s median income is $41,000.
“In response, we are expanding our infrastructure, which includes adding more spaces with our sliding-scale tuition system to serve more children, families, teachers and neighborhoods with high-quality early care and education,” she said.
As of July 2022, the center serves about 120 students in two sites, with 39 staff members, four consultants, six interns, 12 board members and 16 advisory council members.
After the anticipated expansion, the center will grow to four sites, serving 360 children, with 118 staff members and 15 interns.
Work on the cinema building is set to begin soon since it’s vacant space, but the Whalley Avenue properties have some leases in place, said Richard P. Ballou of Houlihan Lawrence Wareck D’Ostilio, who represented the buyers in the deals.
A lease for space used by the friends on Blake Street has expired and those operations will move to the new spaces. Ballou said it was rewarding “to have the opportunity to represent an organization whose footprint betters the local community and city of New Haven’s educational landscape.”
Contact Hanna at hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com
