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Planning commission approves reuse of Our Lady of Guadalupe church as community cultural center
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use authorization to convert the vacant Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 906 Broadway into a nonprofit cultural and instructional center offering classes, events and community programming.
The Planning Commission on March 14 granted conditional‑use authorization to 906 World Cultural Center, a nonprofit proposal to adapt the vacant Our Lady of Guadalupe Church into community arts, education and wellness space. Nancy Tran of the Planning Department summarized that a Certificate of Appropriateness had been granted by the Historic Preservation Commission for interior alterations and that staff recommended approval.
Project and reasoning: The sponsors said the building will host historical tours, family events, community classes and adult education serving neighborhood residents; project partners and local community leaders offered 48 letters of support. Planning staff recommended approval because the project would rehabilitate a landmark building and provide a publicly accessible community facility where the structure had been closed for two decades.
Public response and vote: Several speakers with long ties to the neighborhood described the building’s past role for Latino and Mexican‑American residents and urged preservation and reuse rather than demolition. The commission approved the conditional use authorization unanimously with standard conditions; staff will track operations and recommended a white zone/loading arrangement in front if needed to manage event arrivals.
