“This is a project that has a goal to transform our infrastructure around economic and talent development as we continue to bring more resources to our communities of color in West Michigan.”
Guillermo Cisneros is the President and CEO of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He says the organization’s new facility at 1111 Godfrey Avenue SW has been six years in the making and will provide the resources the Hispanic community needs to continue to thrive.
“This hub, that is going to be called The Center for Latino Economic and Talent Advancement powered by the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has all of the resources that our community needs for the next few decades.”
Congresswoman Hillary Scholten helped secure $850,000 for the new facility, which is expected to begin construction next week and last until late spring of 2025. The total cost of the facility is $6.57 million, and the Chamber still needs to raise $2.5 million.
Cisneros says the federal government choosing to invest in this facility speaks to its understanding of how important the Hispanic community is to West Michigan.
“Without investment, in programming and infrastructure that supports black and brown communities, we would never be able to continue to grow.”
