City of Nampa takes over longstanding Hispanic Cultural Center. Its future is unknown

After over 20 years as a fixture in Canyon County, the city of Nampa has taken over ownership of the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho.

The cultural center, which opened in 2002, was a resource for many in the Latino community. Its purple, orange and blue walls held murals and its classrooms hosted cultural and informational events.

The city of Nampa leased the building to the Hispanic Cultural Center, headed by Humberto Fuentes and a seven-member board, at 315 Stampede Drive, for $1 a year since July 2002. But over the last several years, the cultural center had minimal use and community members complained about its lack of responsiveness to their needs, Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said in a news release Monday. Fuentes contested this and said the city is after the building because of its monetary value.

The complaints from Latinos in the community led the city to hold meetings with Hispanic Cultural Center leaders and community members, the city said. On June 27, the city took possession of the building.

The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office on Monday began enforcing that the cultural center tenants vacate the building. Fuentes, reached by phone, said he hadn’t heard from the mayor’s office Monday and was surprised to see sheriff’s deputies and city officials changing the locks in the building.

Hispanic Cultural Center staffers tried to fight the city to keep the center, Fuentes said. They hired pro bono lawyers and plan to try to fight the city in court.

“It is bad for the Hispanic community,” Fuentes said. “The city does not have a very good track record for serving the Latino community.”

City promises to work with Latino community

Mari Ramos, now director of operations for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said she remembers the center in its glory days, when it was beautiful with a working fountain and a room full of computers for people to use. Over the last 20 years, the cultural center hosted free citizenship classes, “know your rights” sessions, holiday celebrations, mariachi performances and other events.

“It was a really great resource and I would love to see it be that again,” Ramos said by phone.

Kling said the city plans to host all of the events scheduled at the center. The doors will be open for event attendees but remain closed outside of event hours. Two separate businesses operate out of the center, and Kling said those businesses will remain open and anyone with appointments there should contact them directly.

The center was built to “improve the quality of life for all people as well as to recognize, celebrate, and preserve Hispanic heritage, culture and values,” the lease between the city and the center said.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce along with the Community Council of Idaho plan to work with the city to help the center reach its full potential, the city said.

“We want it to continue to foster an appreciation of the Hispanic community and our values,” Ramos said.

In the news release, the city said it will work with other Latino leaders to discuss the future of the Hispanic Cultural Center. Anyone interested in participating in a working group regarding the center can contact the Nampa Mayor’s Office at (208) 468-5401 or mayor@cityofnampa.us.

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