GCI showcases Eastside property
- Jesus Lopez-Gomez
- 25 oct 2018
- 2 Min. de lectura
As legacy nonprofit prepares to celebrate 100 years of service next year, it debuted a new renovation this month.
The group showcased renovations at the former Saint Paul’s School of Theology on October 13, a first showing for the property since the Guadalupe Centers purchased the property in 2013.
“We have really been accepted by the community there and we feel that our programs and services are excellent resources for its residents. They see these resources as a tremendous asset,” said Cris Medina, Guadalupe Centers CEO.
The property currently contains the GCI’s early education centers, an elementary school and a preschool facility. The property will in the future contain a resource library, a community recreation center and housing for the faculty.
The Raza Development Funds provided funding for the property acquisition.
The Eastside property follows the Guadalupe Centers’ debut of a recreation center in the Westside this July. The Youth Recreation Center is a resources for the area’s children and teenagers that offers spaces for recreation and homework.
“For the neighborhood, (the building) was very important because it was an anchor for the residents on the south end of the west side, which doesn’t have any pocket parks or recreational facilities for the kids,” Medina told The Kansas City Star when the center debuted in the summer.
As the group prepares to celebrate 100 years of operation in 2019, the GCI’s leadership has openly reflected on their contributions to the local community. In an interview with radio station KCUR, Medina spoke on the importance of having a street in the city named after civil rights icon Cesar Chavez. The group was a key advocate for the name change when it occurred 25 years ago.
