Todos Somos Phoenix!
Through the 2001 City Bond program, funding was made available to promote knowledge and appreciation of the cultures of Latinos.
In 2016, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture secured the services of a consultant to conduct a capital needs assessment and feasibility study, including a management/business plan and evaluation of potential tie-ins with other cultural resources. In 2017, the study was released. This process centered around an extensive community input process consisting of over 20 one-on-one interviews, site visits to arts organizations and facilities in Phoenix and surrounding areas, three public town halls, two focus groups, and an electronic survey with 254 respondents.
In 2019, Mayor Thelda Williams created the Latino Center Ad Hoc Committee to evaluate and make recommendations to the City Council next year about next steps, including possible sites for a center and development of a strategic plan, which will result in business and operating, programming, and partnership and fundraising strategies. The committee is charged with using the 2017 Capital Assessment and Feasibility Study as its roadmap through the process.
The Ad Hoc Committee met monthly and in addition had three working subcommittees (programs & services, fundraising & partnerships, and site & operations). All meetings were open to the public, and community members could participate in any of the three subcommittees.
The Ad Hoc Committee sunset on June 30, 2020 and presented their final report to Phoenix City Council on September 22, 2020. City Council approved the report and final recommendations.