Construction has started on a new museum and cultural center, something the Armenian American community in Glendale has dreamed about for decades.
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"This is one step closer to the dream," Glendale Mayor Paula Devine said. "One step closer to the dream that's going to be right here for all of us who are so privileged to have this museum in Glendale, in our city."
The center will have a focus on learning with a wide range of public programming. The museum will house permanent and temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, a demonstration kitchen, and an archives center.
The center will highlight the horrors and lessons of the Armenian Genocide.
"It's going to be a place that's going to preserve the memory of all those martyrs from the Armenian genocide," Armenian American Museum Executive Director Shant Sahakian said. "But also a place for youngsters, and students to come every single year to be able to learn, and educate themselves, and educate others about the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide, but also the perseverance of the people and also as a lesson to make sure those types of things never happen again."
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Located on Colorado Boulevard in Glendale, the center is right in the middle of one of the largest Armenian communities in the United States.
"This project was born with the Armenian genocide centennial as a gift for the next hundred years, the next generation of Armenian Americans, and so for Armenians it's going to be a hub for the community," Sahakian said. "It's going to be a platform for Armenian artists, thought leaders, writers, authors, but also a place that's going to be a public institution to serve all."
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For Armenian Americans, it will be a new home for their heritage, and for everyone else a chance to learn and better understand this vibrant community.
The center is expected to be open in the summer of 2024.