Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to open a new community space dedicated to Dominican culture and education in Washington Heights.
Cuomo said the center’s placement in the George Washington Bridge Bus Station was appropriate because many immigrants from across the world first entered the city via the bridge. When it opens next summer, the center will include space for artists to display their work and room to facilitate workshops and cultural programming, according to the governor.
“The Dominican community is a central piece of this state’s culture and a representative of the American dream,” Cuomo said in a statement on Sunday.
The announcement came just before Cuomo and other elected officials marched in the city’s annual Dominican Day Parade in midtown.
The center will accommodate up to 150 people and will be managed by the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation, a nonprofit focused on supporting Latino students.
“This community center will provide our neighborhood with a cultural hub it deserves, and I thank all involved in the process,” Laura Acosta, the executive director of the foundation, said in a statement.
The Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation has a rent-free, eight-year agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the station’s developer for the space, according to the governor’s office.
