BUFFALO, N.Y. — Visitors can’t see it yet, but on the corner of Niagara and Hudson Street, a 37,000-square-foot building will soon be the hub of Western New York Hispanic culture and arts.
It's been over one year since construction first began on the new Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute. The foundation has been completed and the building now awaits its next phase of construction: the core and the shell.
The President of the Hispanic Heritage Council, Casimiro Rodriguez, said pre-bidding has finished and next steps are soon to follow.
“We're very anxious to see those numbers when they come back so that we can continue our fundraising and complete this project that the community wants and are inspired to see,” Rodriquez said.
The organization raised $18.5 million, but still needs $8 million to complete the project, according to Rodriguez. He hopes more funders will come forward.
“This is a community project and it's something that the community needs. I was born and raised in Western New York. I grew up in this neighborhood and I know what this community needs,” Rodriguez said.
He plans for the building to serve those various community needs.
The institute will feature a museum to showcase and preserve Hispanic History, an art gallery from local and national Hispanic artists, and a theater for performances, lectures, conferences, and educational events. And that's only on the first floor.
The second-floor plans to hold a learning lab for children, including a media center and incubator where students can get hands-on learning in journalism and media. The third floor is set to include a commercial kitchen for cooking classes and an activities hall for community events and celebrations.
It'll be a while before the center is fully completed, but the plans for the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute are promising.