Long Beach is finally putting its long-discussed Latino Cultural Center into motion, handing the keys to Centro CHA after a clean 8-0 City Council vote on Wednesday. The amended facility-use permit gives the nonprofit day-to-day control of programming and operations at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center, clearing the way for classes, performances and markets to launch while the city finishes park and building upgrades. City officials say the deal should speed up a long-planned downtown hub for Latino arts, youth programs and small-business support.
The updated permit authorizes Centro CHA to run the Latino Cultural Center for three years and requires the group to begin programming within 90 days, according to the Press‑Telegram. Under the agreement, the nonprofit will oversee facility reservations, develop programming, drive community engagement and handle marketing, city staff told the council. The unanimous vote formalizes an operating role Centro CHA has helped shape over several years of planning sessions and community workshops.
Background and planning
The Latino Cultural Center grew out of a 2021 city visioning process and draft operational business plan, when Centro CHA teamed up with Lord Cultural Resources and a community steering committee to sketch out programming, governance and finances. The City of Long Beach’s project page details the community outreach and steering-committee meetings that informed the plan, according to the City of Long Beach.
What Centro CHA will run
Under the new arrangement, Centro CHA is responsible for operations, facility reservations, program development, community engagement and marketing at the Latino Cultural Center. The organization is expected to offer a mix of cultural, workforce and social-service programs - everything from performances and art classes to ESL courses, immigration-legal services and small-business support. Those activities are outlined in city documents and in more detail on the nonprofit’s own site, and earlier council actions also set terms for signage, restroom access and bi-annual reporting to the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department. Centro CHA’s website, Centro CHA, lists additional services and program offerings.
What comes next
City staff say the immediate work at the Jenny Oropeza site and at Cesar E. Chavez Park includes new signage, structural repairs and restroom upgrades, with the Elevate ’28 infrastructure plan identified as the main funding vehicle for park improvements. A July 2025 city memo pegs roughly $4.5 million for Chavez Park upgrades tied to the Latino Cultural Center and Mercado project, and the city’s Elevate ’28 project list names Chavez Park as part of its 2028 legacy investments. The broader funding framework for those improvements is laid out through Elevate ’28.
Why it matters
Latino residents account for roughly 44 percent of Long Beach’s population, and supporters argue that a dedicated cultural center can concentrate arts programming, entrepreneurship support and youth services in a neighborhood that has long been flagged for investment. U.S. Census QuickFacts shows Hispanic or Latino residents make up about 43 to 44 percent of the city’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Local reaction
Centro CHA executive director Jessica Quintana thanked the city for the public-private partnership and said the group was “making history” by stewarding the new center. Advocates including Joel Gomez said the space will give young people a place to belong and build their talents. Council staffer Tyler Bonanno-Curley pointed to Jenny Oropeza’s indoor and outdoor amphitheaters, kitchen and overall footprint as a natural fit for performances and markets, while Mayor Rex Richardson framed the effort as a chance to spotlight cultural landmarks ahead of 2028, according to the Press‑Telegram.
For now, the amended permit is a short-term operating solution while the city continues design work for a permanent Latino Cultural Center and Mercado at Chavez Park. Centro CHA must file bi-annual reports with the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department while it runs programs out of the Jenny Oropeza Community Center. Residents can expect to see public events and weekend markets start rolling out in the coming months as the nonprofit and city sort out schedules, vendors and logistics.
