Last month, the Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved funding of $800,000 to ALMAAHH, Advocates of a Latino Museum of Cultural and Visual Arts & Archive Complex in Houston, Harris County.
A view of ALMAAHH’s “We Are Houston,” 2023
The agreement between the County and ALMAAHH notes that the future museum will “elevat[e] Houston as the national center of Latino culture” and “support local economic development.” The County will provide the funds in one up-front installment and will participate in up to four events hosted by ALMAAHH. For its part, ALMAAHH is expected to produce a Feasibility Study for the museum and provide a yearly report regarding the usage of funds, among other things.
Carlos Duarte, the President of ALMAAHH, told Glasstire that the organization has been in contact with the County for multiple years about potential support. He explained that the funds will be used as part of ALMAAHH’s operational budget as bringing the building to fruition is still years away. Mr. Duarte commented, “To put things in perspective, this year we had a $1.2 million budget. The building is going to be $150 million once the two stages are completed.”
Along with engaging the community in visioning sessions to determine what the future museum should offer, ALMAAHH hired AEA Consulting to complete an analysis to help determine a potential site for the building. After considering areas such as Gulfton/Sharpstown, Midtown, the Museum District, and the Astrodome, the analysis pointed to the East End as the ideal location.
According to the AEA report, ALMAAHH’s goal is to purchase approximately 5.5 acres of land, which would be home to a building up to 181,000 square feet while maintaining outdoor landscape spaces. Details of the building phases have not been publicly released, however, Mr. Duarte confirmed that the next step toward the building project is to complete the Feasibility Study to determine how much funding could be realistically raised to support the project. The goal is to purchase land in 2025 and open a physical space by 2030.
When asked about which institutions across Texas or the U.S. that ALMAAHH is inspired by, Mr. Duarte explained, “The ambition is that we will be a national museum. We are inspired by all of the different Latino museums, including museums in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Chicano museums. One of the other museums that inspires us is The National World War II Museum in New Orleans. It is a landmark destination that has become a central point for people visiting the city, and it is a national museum. If you want to learn about WWII, you go to New Orleans.”
Stay up-to-date about ALMAAHH’s programs and initiatives via the organization’s website.
