By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press / Bay City News
Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, announced Thursday $26.5 million in state funding for a new arts and media center in Chinatown.
Ting, chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, announced that the new arts center, which will be called the Edge on the Squarewill be a destination for visitors and tourists to learn about Asian and Pacific Islanders in the arts, education, social change and technology sectors.
The new arts center in Chinatown will be located at 800 Grant Avenue, one block from the iconic Portsmouth Square. The center will feature exhibitions, performances and presentations, according to Ting.
"The alarming increase in hate incidents against members of the AAPI community tells us that we must invest in ways to educate people by promoting this sector's many contributions to the fabric of California and this country. Edge on the Square will be a place to learn and open minds, while providing our AAPI community with a safe space to be seen and heard," Ting said in a statement.
Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, applauded the measure.
"As the oldest Chinatown in the United States, San Francisco's Chinatown has been the social and cultural capital of our Chinese community," Chiu said. "After years of discussion, I'm thrilled that Edge on the Square I'm going forward to make Chinatown come back stronger after the pandemic, the recession and the anti-Asian hate.
The Assemblyman detailed that this project will celebrate equity, inclusion and social justice, while ensuring that Chinatown will be a beacon for generations to come.
The new funding will allow Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative, a partnership of several local organizations including the Chinese Historical Society and the Chinese Cultural Center, to purchase the site and oversee the development of the project.
«Edge on the Square will be a new icon for the city and a strong Asian-American voice that is inclusive and transformative," said project leader Mabel Teng.
The new centre is expected to open in 2024.
You may be interested in: San Francisco Airport to Offer Free COVID-19 Vaccination
