La CASA marks historic grand opening as New England’s largest Latino cultural center
senior vice president of finance for The Community Builders, Inc. Jesse Elton; Yawkey Foundation CEO Alicia Verity; head of TD Community
Development Corp. Michael Cooper; La CASA Capital Campaign co-chair and founder of the Latino Equity Fund at The Boston Foundation Aixa Beauchamp;
managing director of Monge Capital Jeff Monge; senior vice president of institutional finance at MassDevelopment Benny Wong; IBA COO Mayra I. Negrón-Roche.
Boston, MA On May 15, with more than 200 in attendance, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) officially celebrated the grand opening of La CASA: The Center for Arts, Self-determination and Activism, marking a historic milestone for the city’s Latino community and the opening of the largest Latino cultural center in New England. Located in the city’s historic Villa Victoria neighborhood, the four-story, 26,435 s/f center welcomed hundreds of residents, artists, elected officials, partners, and community members throughout a multi-day celebration featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony, live performances, public open houses, arts programming, and community events that brought the new cultural space to life for the first time.
The weekend officially began with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by mayor Michelle Wu, U.S. senator Ed Markey, state senator Nick Collins, state representative John Moran, Boston city councilor Ed Flynn, representatives from governor Healey and congresswoman Pressley, IBA leadership, project partners, artists, residents, and supporters who gathered to celebrate the culmination of decades of community advocacy, cultural preservation, and investment in the Villa Victoria neighborhood.
The ceremony featured remarks from IBA CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, IBA COO Mayra I. Negrón-Roche, elected officials, philanthropic and financial partners including the Yawkey Foundation and TD Bank, as well as a formal proclamation from the Healey-Driscoll Administration recognizing May 15, 2026 as “La CASA Day” in Massachusetts.
“Today we’re opening doors to artists, to young people, to activists, and to anyone who believes in the power of community, self-determination, and joy,” said Dr. Calderón-Rosado.
“La CASA is more than a building; it is the realization of decades of advocacy, organizing, and vision from the Villa Victoria community. This space was created so future generations can gather, celebrate culture, create art, build community, and continue shaping their own future here in Boston.”
Guests toured the new cultural center following the ribbon cutting, experiencing the building’s performance hall, community gathering spaces, outdoor amphitheater connection, and inaugural gallery exhibition, Entretelas: Antonio Martorell y sus Amigos, featuring internationally renowned Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell. Visitors also viewed Un Futuro en Acción / A Future in Motion, the building’s large-scale entry mural by Boston-based Puerto Rican artist Acóma (Alvin Colón).
Developed by IBA, La CASA represents a transformative expansion of the organization’s decades-long work advancing affordable housing, arts, youth development, education, and community empowerment. Constructed on land preserved through resident-led anti-displacement organizing efforts, the center stands as a powerful example of community-rooted development and cultural permanence at a time when many urban communities face displacement pressures and the loss of cultural spaces.
“La CASA – our casa, your casa – is the result of an unwavering commitment to this community and the people who made this vision possible,” said Mayra I. Negrón-Roche, COO of IBA. “Every detail of this building was shaped with intention to create an open and welcoming space where people feel they belong. This is a place for celebration and organizing, for art and advocacy, for learning and opportunity. Seeing the community fill these spaces throughout opening weekend reinforced exactly why La CASA was created.”
On the evening of the ribbon cutting, the celebration continued with La CASA’s first major public performance as acclaimed percussionist and bandleader Eguie Castrillo headlined an opening night concert that filled the center with Afro-Caribbean rhythms, dance, and collective celebration. The performance marked the debut of La CASA’s new performance space and set the tone for the center’s future as a home for Latino arts and cultural expression in Boston.
Throughout the weekend, community members of all ages participated in public open houses featuring arts workshops, music, dance, tours, and family-friendly programming that activated the building’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Saturday night’s Dance Fiesta brought people together for an evening celebrating Puerto Rican and Latino music and dance traditions with live DJ performances and community dancing late into the evening.
The opening weekend highlighted La CASA’s mission as a permanent home for Latino arts, culture, activism, and community-building while showcasing the center’s role as a new regional destination for cultural programming and civic engagement.
Designed by STUDIO ENEÉ in collaboration with Annum Architects and constructed by D.F. Pray, the $33 million project was supported through public and private investment, including a $12.5 million capital campaign and New Markets Tax Credit financing partnerships.
La CASA will now serve as a centralized hub for IBA’s expanding arts and community programming, including exhibitions, performances, workshops, youth programming, and longstanding cultural traditions such as Festival Betances and the Tito Puente Latin Music Series.