SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw’s newly renovated Mexican American Council headquarters will open its doors to the public Nov. 22 during Holidays in the Heart of the City.
The yearlong renovation is finished. Leaders of the MAC Center will aim to show off not only the restored 150-year-old home at 1537 South Washington, but also a sampling of community activities that will commence, especially geared to young people and to education, which includes culture along with career planning.
When Saginaw’s $52 million ARPA federal grant arrived three years ago, MAC applied for a $250,000 share for programming. Council members, seeking inroads toward Latino inclusion, added another quarter million dollars to rehab the 5,000-square-foot mini-mansion, which formerly was the Catholic bishop’s residence in the upper-scale Grove area between Hoyt Park and Ojibway Island.
City Hall eventually took ownership when former Bishop Ken Untener opted for a traveling residency as various parish rectories. Former Councilman Daniel Soza Jr. won support in 2005 to donate the home to the Mexican American Council.
As with several ARPA infrastructure projects, cost overruns entered the picture, especially with the MAC Center, which already was in a state of neglect when obtained 19 years ago. This absorbed the entire original $500,000, along with an added $120,000, taking the funds that had been intended for programming, and now MAC must rely on volunteer teachers and mentors while seeking other grants for operations and activities.
Therefore, the Nov. 22 hours from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. will serve not only as a showcase, but as a recruitment tool for anyone interested in getting involved.
Treats for children of all ages will include Mexican sweet bread. Vendors of traditional food favorites and various holiday items also will be on hand, and live music also is on the agenda, weather permitting.
