This center had gone through a lot of changes. Then the director died.
Nampa has made headlines in recent weeks for its plan to transfer the Ford Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho. But the venue isn’t the only space for which the city is considering big changes.
Nampa’s Community and Cultural Advisory Committee met July 14 and discussed possibly soliciting proposals for the city-owned Idaho Hispanic Community Center, according to meeting minutes.
“Nampa’s Community & Cultural Advisory Group has discussed the idea of publishing a solicitation of interest to receive recommendations from the community on the highest and best use for the facility, but a specific timeline has not yet been identified,” Nampa spokesperson Amy Bowman said in an email.
The discussions come amid a period of change for the center. In March, Facility Manager Jose DeLeon died. In a newsletter, Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling called DeLeon a “source of connection and encouragement for the Nampa community.”
Bowman said the city does not “currently have plans to hire another director.”
The Nampa City Council also voted for a 14% decrease in funding for the center this year, leaving the total budget at $279,000.
The center originally opened in 2002. The city took it over in 2023 after years of minimal use and deterioration. At the time, Kling aid she planned to turn the center over to the Latino community. About a quarter of Nampa’s population is of Hispanic origin.
The center has hosted weekly markets, holiday celebrations and other programming.
