Building Justice: A New Home for Vera Institute of Justice Vera Institute of Justice
Since the success of the Manhattan Bail Project in 1961, which pioneered the bail reform movement, Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) has continued to partner with political and civil leaders to catalyze improvements to the United States' safety and justice systems. On an ongoing basis, Vera studies pressing social problems and current responses, incubates programs that often grow into self-sustaining organizations, and advises a range of government bodies. Faced with several organizational shifts, Vera engaged Denham Wolf to support the identification and implementation of their new headquarters, ultimately negotiating a 15-year lease in Sunset Park. Additionally, Denham Wolf served as project manager, overseeing the office renovation.
Vera was prompted to consider relocating their headquarters for several reasons, including a growing staff, new leadership, and programmatic changes. As the organization evolved, it recognized that its current proximity to the Manhattan Courthouses was becoming less relevant to its work.
Vera enlisted Denham Wolf's help to explore potential relocation options and identify sites in keeping with their key criteria. While planning for relocation, our project management remained involved, projecting long-term facility costs, project schedules, and renovation budgets for potential sites. With support from our transactions team, Denham Wolf secured a 15-year lease on an office space within Industry City, located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.
With oversight from Denham Wolf’s project management team and in partnership with STUDIOS as architect and Newgrange Construction as contractor, the renovated headquarters were ready for occupancy in 2019. The modern office space features an open workspace environment, meeting ready conference rooms, and artist installation space. The vibrant artwork around the office was created by formerly incarcerated artists and Brooklyn-born artists committed to social justice. The workspace was designed to be people-centered, fostering collaboration and vision.
“Denham Wolf was an essential partner to Vera in guiding us through our first headquarters move in 20 years, from the identification of spaces, negotiation, work with architects, the build-out, to the occasional, but necessary handholding. In addition to Denham Wolf's expertise, they bring a commitment to the work of our sector, a values orientation, and the exact kind of professionalism you would want in a partner: reliability, thoroughness, and excellent project management. Plus, they are good and fun people who became part of the Vera family. We have continued to rely on them for formal and informal advice.” - Nicholas Turner, President & Director at Vera Institute of Justice
“The decision to relocate their headquarters is a testament to Vera's values. By finding them a new home in Sunset Park, we have supported their vital work and enabled them to welcome their community into this inspiring space.”
—Christopher D. Turner, MRICS, Principal | Managing Director of Transaction Services at Denham Wolf
“Vera's dedication to their mission shines through in the new headquarters. The modern workspace radiates vibrancy and bold thinking, a perfect alignment with their vision.”
—Ronzard J. Innocent, Principal | Managing Director of Project Management Services at Denham Wolf