A $1 million investment of federal funding toward the construction of a new Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute was announced Wednesday at the site of the proposed facility on Niagara and Hudson streets on Buffalo’s Lower West Side.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins joined leaders of Buffalo’s Hispanic community to talk about the proposed $22 million project which is expected to break ground next month.
The federal lawmakers said the institute, which was first proposed by the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York in 2019, will make a great addition to the bustling Niagara Street business corridor, which has undergone a transformation in recent years, thanks to a more than $33 million multi-phase infrastructure investment.
The 37,000-square-foot building, which will feature a museum, a performing arts center and several other amenities, is intended to be community gathering place that will promote learning, as well as celebrate diverse arts and cultures.
“This is a a moment of optimism,” Gillibrand said. “This cultural institute will be a beacon of pride for many years, and I look forward to coming back to join in the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York and all of you for the ribbon-cutting and celebration.”
Higgins lauded the leadership of Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York president Casimiro D. Rodriguez for getting the project off the ground.
“This is actually the second $1 million investment from the federal government toward this project,” said Higgins, noting that this, along with $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding allocated through the City of Buffalo, brings the total federal investment in the project to $2 million.
“It’s about the visionary leadership of the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York. And, like most projects, it’s a team effort. All these teams have to have a leader. Cas Rodriguez has been the leader of this project for a long time,”…
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