City’s Chavez Community Center Slated for Series of Upgrades

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Cesar Chavez Community Center near downtown Riverside was slated for a host of improvements, thanks to a $25 million state grant.

“This project will transform the center as a gathering place for our community, including students of the Riverside Arts Academy,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “We greatly appreciate the work of our state representatives in bringing these funds home to Riverside.”

The Riverside City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept the grant, which paves the way for a series of renovations to the nearly century- old building at Bobby Bonds Park.

Competitive bidding on the project will follow the design phase, with work on the edifice likely to get underway at the end of 2024. Officials said the rehab will probably be completed in the first half of 2026.

Some of the work will include removal of lead and asbestos in different parts of the two-story structure, a new roof, replacement of plumbing and electrical systems, a new HVAC unit and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrades, according to the city.

The Riverside Arts Academy is based at the center, and musical, performance art, dancing and other classes are hosted year-round.

The building was erected in 1928, serving as University Heights High School until 1972, when it was shuttered. The city acquired the edifice four years later and turned into a park facility, ultimately renaming it in honor of Chavez.

It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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