SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity are getting a $800,000 grant from California state officials to build their long-anticipated community center.
Sacramento city councilmembers officially accepted the funds Tuesday as part of a $2 million state investment in South Sacramento community-based organizations.
The community center is set to be built on a plot of land the Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity has owned since the 1990s, according to first vice president of the organization, Vince A. Sales.
"It's been a dream for the Filipino community," he told ABC10. "The Filipino American community here in Sacramento is four or five generations deep, so we have many Filipino Americans in the Sacramento region and this building creates a really big statement."
Sales says they've hosted many Filipino events at the nearby Jose P. Rizal Community Center on Florin Mall Drive, a center named after Filipino national hero José Rizal, but now it's time for the Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity to have their own center.
CH&D Architects developed renderings of the future center showing it attached to a tower and a mural going across the building.
Upcoming Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity center renderings
"I was driving around the neighborhood and there's no such thing like [the center]," said Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity board member Jinky Dolar. "There was a lot of controversy regarding who's going to be the artist in South Sacramento that happened February right in Little Saigon — we're hiring our own artist from our own community."
According to city documents, the Filipino Community Center set for a 1.8 acre lot on 5801 66th Ave. is estimated to cost just over $3 million, with construction set to start this summer.
Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity President Murray Navarro says they plan to ask more agencies and local organizations for funding to finish the project.
"We just received a single donation for our Big Day of Giving for $15,000 just for the building fund," he said. "So people are getting excited and energetic to be a part of the development of this iconic building we're trying to push up."
He says the Sierra Health Foundation also invested $50,000 for their community center.
The $800,000 grant was secured by then-Assemblymember Jim Cooper and is now being overseen by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen.
Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity (FCSV) members thanked Nguyen for seeing the funding through.
“The Filipino community has had a lifelong dream since the 1920s of a culturally relevant community center. I am thrilled to announce the allocation of crucial funding to the FCSV,” Nguyen said Wednesday. “This will serve as a cornerstone for the Filipino community, providing essential resources and support to its growing population. This will provide a crucial step toward ensuring this center becomes a reality. I am excited to see this inclusive hub to connect, socialize, share programs and uplift our community.”
Murray says they plan to continue fundraising through events this summer and in October for Filipino American Heritage Month.
Community members interested in donating can visit the Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity's Big Day of Giving link.
