WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $1 million grant from The American Rescue Plan Act ("ARPA") reserves to support the planning and design of the highly anticipated Hispanic Multicultural Resource Center (“Center”), which has been slated for construction in Commissioner Michael Barnett's 3rd District.

 

"Palm Beach County is home to one of the fastest-growing Hispanic communities in Florida," said Commissioner Michael Barnett. "It is time we recognized our Hispanic community for their outstanding contributions to our everyday lives and support an effort to create a broader, more permanent sense of place in Palm Beach County."

 

This Center will be a public/private partnership between Palm Beach County and the Community Foundation. It will showcase the large diversity of Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking cultures represented in Palm Beach County through community events, festivals, exhibits, and educational workshops. Visitors to the Center will find job resources and skills training, and the Center will also serve as an incubator for small businesses. Once completed, the Center will attract thousands of people from the region, generating tourism revenue and spurring the local economy.

 

Furthermore, the Center will support county, law enforcement, and nonprofit agencies already on the ground, helping those in great need. "For years, there has been an outcry in my District for such a place,” said Commissioner Michael Barnett. “Tired of all the talk, my office worked to generate support, from community leaders, all the way up to the highest levels of Palm Beach County government, for this Hispanic Multicultural Resource Center. Finally, it is becoming a reality."

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