By George McClendon Jr.
Members of the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other elected officials broke ground on a new $30 million Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute on Sept. 15, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month
The 37,000-square-foot building will be built on the corner of Niagara and Hudson streets. It will serve as a center to celebrate Hispanic culture, arts, and heritage for the community. The project is estimated to be completed in 18 months.
It is a "gathering place for people from many different backgrounds, to want to learn about the great contributions of the Hispanic community," Gov. Hochul said, "but also, not just learn about the past, but celebrate with theater and dance, and broadcasting to the world the stories of what people are doing. So, your grandson will know the proud story of the struggles. They have an eye toward the future and know that’ll be better because of those who came before and built a place to celebrate this great story.”
The center will feature three floors. The first two will be for all the amenities provided in the facility and the third floor has been allocated for tenant leased space, allowing people in the community to host their own events there.
The facility will have energy efficient amenities, including solar panels.
“It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind hub,” said council Vice President Maritza Vega. “It’s going to be good for the community in general, not just Hispanic. We are going to feature experimental learning and we’re going to have a theater, along with a TV and radio station for our youth to learn about all of this.”
Additionally, the interior spaces will include a museum, art gallery, café, and a gift shop. The entire facility will have flexible, multi-functional spaces to accommodate various types of programs.
The council has received funding from both state and federal offices to help fund this project. A year ago, Gov. Hochul announced a $5 million grant through Empire State Development for the institute’s construction.
In addition to that, in 2021, the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council awarded a $725,000 grant. The New York Power Authority also provided a $300,000 funding award.
“This project is very important not only to this organization, but to this community. This project represents art and culture, with many of our partners in the community, but we also envision this project to be the economic engine of this area. The gateway to America, it is going to be a tourist attraction not only locally, but across the state and Canada,” said council President, Casimiro Rodriguez Sr.
