Expansion efforts on time for Austin’s Mexican American Cultural Center

Austin (KXAN) — This could be the last Hispanic Heritage Month the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) spends outside its permanent home in the Rainey Street Historic District as it undergoes renovations.

Heidi Tse, ESB-MACC capital delivery project manager, said construction is on time and the center is poised to reopen by fall 2025.

Tse said just last week the project hit a major milestone. Members of the community and those involved with the project signed the topmost steel beam that has now been welded into place as part of the center's tallest support rafters.

Once complete, the center will have twice its previous square footage, a new community gallery, classrooms and studios, a grand pavilion overlooking Lady Bird Lake and an outdoor amphitheater.

Past coverage | Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center readies for Phase 2 expansion

"We are having a lot more connectivity between the trails, the streets and because this is such a pedestrian friendly and bike friendly area, we're hoping to have that connection and expansion to the outdoors," Tse said.

Keeping culture alive during construction

Since expansion and renovation efforts started in 2022, ESB-MACC programing has been displaced.

Michelle Rojas, culture and arts education manager for Austin parks and recreation, said cultural celebrations have been held at different sites throughout the city because they've been unable to take place at the center.

Most recently, Rojas said the city's 17th annual Viva Mexico! celebration took place over the weekend at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center in east Austin.

She said making sure Austin's Latinx community can still come together has occasionally been a challenge during the construction, but the struggle has allowed her to grow the center's network.

"This time of construction has given us the ability to come out of our comfort zone and be able to explore other parts of Austin," said Rojas.

The next big cultural event for the ESB-MACC, Rojas said, will be a Dia de Los Muertos celebration at the Oswaldo AB Cantu Pan American Park. That will take place Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 2-8 p.m.