Renovation Begins on Immigrant Center

Construction began Wednesday for the second phase of the Central American Resource Center’s $2.5-million facility. It is the eighth home in 15 years for the nonprofit agency, which is dedicated to providing legal services for Central American immigrants.

New facilities at the four-floor building, at 2845 W. 7th St., include a technology studio, classrooms and art studios. A 250-seat community meeting hall and additional space for immigration legal services also will be built.

Officials found the nearly 70-year-old building, once a Presbyterian church, vandalized and in disarray when they bought it in December 1996. They set up shop on the second floor until enough funds were raised to refurbish the structure, which still includes a handful of stained-glass windows.

The renovation project is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Department, a $250,000 HUD grant and money from various community and corporate sponsors.

“This is a sign that the Central American community has come of age in the United States,” said Angela Sanbrano, executive director of the center. “It means that we, as a community, are putting an emphasis on the future and the education of its children.”

Sanbrano said she hopes to serve recent immigrants and Central American families that are already settled in Los Angeles.

The center serves more than 24,000 people yearly, nearly 80% of whom are living at poverty or low-income levels. The center, formerly called the Central American Refugee Center, was formed 15 years ago by a group of Salvadoran refugees who wanted to secure legal status for the thousands of Central Americans fleeing civil war.