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Legal Aid hosts open house to show off new Canton office
Community Legal Aid in Canton now has new office space. The non-profit law firm recently moved from the Renkert Building across the street to 401 N. Market Ave. The public is invited to attend an Open House July 10. Pictured is Kelley Molla, a Legal Aid paralegal. (Photo courtesy of Community Legal Aid Services).
TRACEY BLAIR
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 12, 2018
It’s the end of an era for Community Legal Aid’s Canton office space.
The nonprofit law firm has moved from its longtime location in the Renkert Building on North Market Avenue.
But clients won’t have far to go.
The new offices are located right across the street.
“We’d been in the Renkert Building, I like to say, since the 16th century,” quipped Legal Aid Executive Director Steven McGarrity.
The move follows the sale of the Renkert Building to the Downtown Canton Land Bank in December. McGarrity said he knew it was time to move on when Land Bank officials announced plans to redevelop the building.
“We’re excited to become United Way’s downstairs neighbor and look forward to even greater collaborations with them and their partner agencies,” he said.
The new space is roughly the same size as Legal Aid’s former office, but will be much more conducive to client needs.
For instance, the new digs now include a private room where walk-in applicants can apply for legal help, dedicated work spaces for volunteers, a new color palette, modern furniture and updated décor.
“One of the challenges we have is staffing. We are now switching to using technology to help manage our reception areas,” McGarrity said. “Instead of having a receptionist when clients walk in, they now have an instant video connection to a receptionist at the Akron office. There is an interactive video screen – hands free. The clients don’t even have to push any buttons, and the staff at the back of the office won’t have to interrupt their work and get up. We now have more privacy with clients because we can bring clients into the conference table without going into office space.”
The executive director added that the new space, owned by Dehoff Realtors, was the perfect empty slate, having not been used since a renovation a number of years ago and consisting of just a concrete floor and metal rafters.
“This move has given us the opportunity to reimagine our brand and better align the look and feel of our offices with our organizational culture and values,” McGarrity said.
Legal Aid hosted an open house at the new offices at 401 N. Market Ave. in Canton on July 10.
“We also invited our supporters in Canton, like the Canton mayor and the United Way president, to a ribbon-cutting ceremony,” McGarrity said. “We wanted to thank them for their incredible support.”