Centro Villa 25 prepares to welcome local businesses

CLEVELAND, Ohio — An old warehouse on West 25th Street is being turned into a building of opportunity. Centro Villa 25 will become a community place that not only celebrates Latino culture, but will provide economic opportunities and jobs for the surrounding community.

Peggy Cruz is one of many entrepreneurs looking to put down roots at Centro Villa 25. She is the chef and owner at Quarter Girl and Cha-Fido restaurants. She’s excited about what the multi-million dollar investment could mean for the community.

“It’s not about me,” she said, “its about the community. It’s about the community; its about all of us coming together and help each other, help our businesses and help each other grow.”

Cruz was born in Cleveland but her parents are from Puerto Rico. The road to starting her own business in the food industry hasn’t been an easy one. She started by doing pop ups and now she’s getting ready to move her restaurant to Centro Villa 25. 

Jenice Contreras, the president and CEO of Centro Villa 25, said the anticipation for this project has been building up for a while.

“To say that we are finally getting there, this has been a dream and inspiration, not just mine,” she said. “I would love to own it but I can’t own it, but many folks that are no longer here.” 

Contreras says this is decades of the Latino community striving to have a stake in the ground in northeast Ohio.

Centro Villa 25 will take shape in the old HJ Weber Building at West 25th Street and Clark Avenue. The marketplace will have over 50,000-square-feet of retail space. Developers say the project will create over 60 jobs and business opportunities.