Founded in 2010, Capital District LATINOS (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to create conditions for the success of the Latino community in the Capital District. It is the only Latino-led organization in the Albany region that owns a stand-alone building where cultural, educational, and health-related services are provided.
In December of 2018, Capital District LATINOS, with the support of Acacia Network, acquired the site of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (built circa 1886) to serve as the permanent home for its Cultural Empowerment & Community Engagement Center. Throughout the subsequent months, major repairs and renovations were carried out to repurpose the building for use as a cultural and community meeting space, and as administrative office space.
Today, the CDL Cultural Empowerment & Community Engagement Center houses the administrative offices of Capital District LATINOS and a Trinity Alliance satellite; an Art Lounge where many Latino artists have displayed their work; a meeting hall (former church fellowship hall) that also serves as a lecture and performance venue; as well as a landscaped courtyard for special events. The Center is also home to Castle Island Bilingual Montessori School – upstate New York’s only bilingual (English/Spanish) Montessori School.
In 2011, CDL became an affiliate of Acacia Network.
