Building Community

In September 2009, a ceremony was held to commemorate the start of a $3.2 million renovation project of the Lincoln Building, located at 109 Otisco Street, Syracuse. Initial funding for the renovation of the 100-year-old, former warehouse into mixed-use commercial and residential space came from Syracuse University (SU). The project also garnered funding from the Round 2 Restore New York Communities grant awarded by the state to the City of Syracuse as part of a statewide initiative to revitalize urban areas.

The model concept for La Casita at SU can be traced to Spanish Harlem and the South Bronx. La Casita’s interior was designed by former SU professor in the School of Architecture, Jon Lott, to honor the Center’s mission in the New York City-based Casitas tradition. Lott drew inspiration from the Rincón Criollo Cultural Center in the Bronx, and developed a model that incorporates the outdoor/indoor aspect of the original Casita. The Center’s different spaces were designed with input from Syracuse University faculty, staff, and students, as well as from local residents of the Near Westside.

The original blueprints and design proposals show the collaborative nature of this project. It was the combined efforts of architects, designers, community organizers, academic scholars and students, that made La Casita the place it is today.

This year La Casita commemorates its 10^th anniversary with its exhibit: Corazón del Barrio (Heart of the Barrio), which celebrates the community that have collaborated, participated and filled this space with life. Their art, their music, their wisdom, their stories and dreams create indelible learning experiences for all who enter here. They are the true Heart of the Barrio.