The Brief
- Dozens of South Bay students and community members rallied on Thursday for the rebuilding of a youth center destroyed by fire.
- The site was previously home to the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA).
- In response to community advocacy, the school district’s board voted to enter into an agreement with local organizations to assess the feasibility of a rebuild.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Alum Rock Union School District Board voted Thursday night to approve an agreement to explore rebuilding a historic youth center in East San Jose that was destroyed by a fire last year.
Community rallies to rebuild
The vote allows the district to enter into an 18-month exclusive negotiating agreement with local organizations. Together, they will assess the property and determine the financial feasibility of constructing a new community center and gymnasium on the site.
The land was previously home to the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) youth center, which had sat vacant for several years before burning down nine months ago, just as renovation plans were beginning. The district currently owns the fenced-off, block-wide property.
Before the meeting, dozens of community members and students marched and danced to the district office to advocate for the site’s revitalization, citing a severe lack of recreational spaces and youth programming in East San Jose.…