First, it was the San Juan District, then came the cultural art mural, after that came the Isaias Soto Gonzalez Library, in addition to their annual fund-raisers, plus all-year events, which includes the Latino Heritage Month in September…and now comes the “Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute”, their biggest ambitious project so far – the construction of a 3-floor building to serve as the “Hispanic Cultural Center”, and by the way, did anyone in the community decide on the name? As for me, I hate the term “Hispanic” – but that’s another story for a history lesson. The proposed new project will be located on the corner of Niagara and Hudson Streets (lower west side), which will be green energy efficient with solar panels and other energy savings, it will encompass about 33,000 square feet on three floors. The primary architectural design objective (designed by Snyder Architecture) is to create a friendly, modern, and sustainable facility with Latino elegance. The conceptual exterior images depict a variety of natural materials such as stone and wood, accented with bold colors, reminiscent of the Caribbean. The facades also incorporate expansive sections of glass to deliver abundant natural light and encourage visual connections to the internal activities, promoting inclusivity for a diverse user group. Interior spaces include a museum, café, gift shop, performing arts theater, activities space, broadcast media center, learning labs, and administrative spaces spread over the first two floors. The third floor will be allocated for tenant-leased space as means of generating revenue, to support economic sustainability – the heart and soul of the Center. Since it is designated a “public facility”, all the codes have or will be addressed, so the project should move forward without any setbacks or obstacles.  A REAL CHALLENGE:  The city of Buffalo has been growing and developing for quite some time now, but unfortunately, the Puerto Rican/Latino community, along with the Black community on the east, have been left behind. We too, need to get a piece of the action, and this center, hopefully, can serve as the jump-start engine to begin the economic development process of our community. While most of the community groups are in fear of competition, we believe that competition is good, based on the nature of HHC’s concept, there is absolutely no competition. While we were not too happy with the history and cultural banners project on Niagara Street, and we were disappointed with the planning process of the naming of the Niagara Branch Library, we believe the Center is essential in moving toward establishing “our Puerto Rican/Latino District”, to provide the economic & cultural visibility, desperately needed on the lower west side, adding our contribution to the diversity of the city. HHC has done a great job on behalf of the lower west side, with or without support, and they have displayed a level of community arrogance. While we know HHC means well, most of them don’t reside in the community they claim to serve. Neither have they ‘truly’ tried to recruit ideas, suggestions, or opinions from the Puerto Rican/Latino residents, but it’s not too late to incorporate their participation or involvement; it would be great for “Council members” to live on the lower west side, especially when they claim to love and advocate for our community so much. Having said that, it’s an excellent move for HHC, but this must be only the beginning. Raices and El Batey, for example, should occupy space in the center, but only temporarily. They need their own “economic space” to control, plan, perform, to help generate human traffic (consumers) to spend money on the lower west side, to benefit our already established Latino and non-Latino businesses and community. With the right marketing and promotion, the San Juan District should have no problem attracting tourists from Canada and other parts of New York State – the Peace Bridge is only a few blocks or seconds away. In addition to Raices and El Batey, HHC should work on an economic plan to attract el Museo, Amor y Heritage, el Buen Amigo, and other related groups to be part of the Puerto Rican/Latino Renaissance, getting them to relocate to the San Juan District. New York State has an economic program that helps businesses with tax abatements, renovation, and a period of free rent if one relocates to a designated economic zone. I believe the San Juan District can if not already, become a designated zone for economic, art, and cultural growth and development; this is where HHC can get “creative” and use their political connections wisely. As a writer, I would love to see a Latino literary bookstore where one can come for a reading or purchase a book published by one of our local poets and writers – Jose Vega, Olga Karman, Rosa Gonzalez, Jorge Guitart, Laura DeJesus, Alberto O. Cappas, and feature non-local Latino authors. We depend too much on non-profit groups or the private sector to serve us, instead of ‘us’ serving the community with our own independent, economic spirit, as providers, and not as consumers. That must be the vision and mission of HHC, but it must involve PRACA, Hispanic United of Buffalo, Belle Center, Hispanic Women’s League, and El Buen Amigo. HHC has a challenge on its hands, an overdue challenge, and no other Puerto Rican/Latino group has displayed that level of leadership. The Buffalo Latino Village extends its support and appreciation to the HHC gang (Casimiro Rodriguez, Michele Agosto, Maritza Vega, and company) for the hard work demonstrated on behalf of the community. They need our support on this cultural project! We need to see the light on this one! 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