Governor Hochul Announces $20 Million Investment for CENTRO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at City University of New York

 

Investment Will Help CENTRO Recruit and Retain Talent in El Barrio

Governor Announces Major Investment Following Participation in 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State will make a $20 million investment for CENTRO, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York. The investment will be used to expand the library and archives at CENTRO in El Barrio, the cradle of the Puerto Rican community in New York City. Governor Hochul announced this major investment following her participation in the 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

"For generations, New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage have been a vital part of our state's cultural tapestry," Governor Hochul said. "We are proud to be making bold investments that will allow the Center for Puerto Rican Studies to expand and thrive - making El Barrio an even more exciting place to work, learn and live."

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, CENTRO is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. The new $20 million investment will bring CENTRO under one roof in a newly expanded space of approximately 17,000 square feet. This investment will be utilized to consolidate CENTRO from two locations: Hunter College Main Campus and the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work building at 2180 3rd Avenue in East Harlem to an expanded footprint at the Silberman Building. The newly renovated site will ensure CENTRO remains in El Barrio, a neighborhood where more than 20,000 New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage have built their lives.

The newly expanded footprint will provide CENTRO a significantly expanded archive and library space, aimed at strengthening CENTRO's archives of Puerto Rican history and culture and allowing CENTRO, the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the U.S., to be a leader in digitization. Having a larger, modernized space will also allow CENTRO to recruit and bring in even more talent. The new space will also include a state-of-the-art exhibition space where CENTRO can continue to provide cultural and community activities.

This investment comes in addition to Governor Hochul's recent investment in the New York State Institute for Immigration Integration Research and Policy, announced in 2022. This Institute, housed within the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the State University of New York's public policy think tank, is aimed at providing much-needed research and attention to immigration issues in New York and across the globe.

This is Governor Hochul's latest effort to support the people of Puerto Rico and the thriving Puerto Rican community in New York. Governor Hochul led a robust response to Hurricane Fiona, including deploying 65 members of the New York State Police to assist in relief efforts and delivering tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce and bottled water to Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico. She forged partnerships between New York and Puerto Rico on issues such as solar energy and mental health care. The Governor has also visited Puerto Rico frequently - including within her first 100 days in office - and has met with numerous local leaders including Governor Pedro Pierluisi and multiple State Legislators and municipal officials.