The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is packing up its Chinatown office and moving into the historic Sepulveda House on Olvera Street, bringing free classes, a public library and 15 annual cultural events to a district that has been struggling to draw visitors. The Board of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority Commissioners approved a lease agreement with UNAM on Sept. 24, though the deal still needs City Council sign-off before it can be finalized.
UNAM, also known as the National Autonomous University of Mexico, will take over the vacant second floor of the preserved Sepulveda House, according to MyNewsLA.com. The university will fund the renovation needed to make the space usable and will make its library available to the public for free once it opens. Mayor Karen Bass announced the lease approval, calling El Pueblo a place that connects Angelenos to the history and culture of Los Angeles.
A New Tenant for a Landmark Building
El Pueblo is described as a living museum marking the birthplace of Los Angeles, celebrating Native American, African American, Spanish, Anglo, Mexican, Chinese and Italian cultures, per the same account. UNAM's arrival is expected to give new life to the historic Sepulveda House while offering free events where people can gather and learn. The university is expected to bring new activity and visitors to El Pueblo, also known as Olvera Street, and its programming is expected to support the historic district's merchants and small businesses while helping bolster downtown Los Angeles as a destination for culture, education and commerce.
Héctor Zavala Guzmán thanked the city for its welcome and said UNAM will be an active partner in honoring La Placita Olvera's legacy and strengthening connections with Latinos across Los Angeles, the outlet reports. The partnership was spearheaded by Bass and the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, which was led by Consul General Carlos González Gutiérrez — a diplomat who began his own career at El Pueblo. The Mexican consulate was formerly located at El Pueblo, and a recent Casa México event there drew thousands of Mexican, Mexican American and Angeleno attendees.
UNAM's Reach Beyond Mexico City
UNAM is a public research university with several campuses in Mexico City and various locations across the country, and it has expanded its presence into nine other countries. The Los Angeles branch is billed as a nonprofit California representative office that promotes education, science and cultural exchange between Mexico and the United States. According to its own site, UNAM Los Ángeles offers Spanish and English classes, online education programs, and cultural and academic activities, and it connects students to UNAM's high-school, undergraduate, specialization and continuing-education programs offered online.
The university also runs extension schools in Texas, Illinois and Seattle, operates centers for Mexican studies and teaching centers for foreigners worldwide, and jointly runs a center with Cal State Northridge in the San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles is preparing to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, adding another layer of anticipated visibility for a district looking to rebuild its foot traffic.
A District Hoping for a Lifeline
The timing matters for Olvera Street, where multigenerational family-owned restaurants and shops have been confronting plunging sales and the possibility of closing for good, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before the pandemic, the corridor drew 1 million to 2 million visitors a year; it now sees roughly 300,000 to 500,000 annual visitors, per the same report. La Golondrina, a longtime Olvera Street fixture, closed in 2024 after maintenance problems and more than $242,000 in back rent and fees piled up.
Business owners in the district have said they are counting on the World Cup, night markets and cultural events to help revive Olvera Street. UNAM's planned 15 free annual cultural and educational events, along with open access to its library, could add to that mix of programming aimed at drawing people back — though the move still hinges on the City Council's approval of the lease before any of it becomes official.
