The Olvera Street-adjacent Latino cultural center to be known as LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes was given an soft-opening date of April 15, with a grand opening April 17, officials announced Tuesday.

The 2.22-acre plaza was billed in a statement “as the nation's premier center of Mexican American culture and arts, with a specific focus on the unique Mexican American experience in Los Angeles and Southern California.”

“We at LA Plaza are thrilled to tell the comprehensive, vital story of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles,” said president and CEO Miguel Ángel Corzo.

The cultural center will be housed in a renovated Vickrey-Brunswig Building and Plaza House on Main Street downtown. It will including historic exhibitions, including the inaugural “LA Starts Here!” show, which will highlight the roles of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and evolution of L.A.

The county, private donations and corporate giving are funding the project that has been championed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina for 10 years.

A full schedule for happenings at LA Plaza will be available early next year, officials said.

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