Quetzal Gardens Grand Opening
Excite Credit Union, Latino Business Foundation Silicon Valley, and SOMOS Mayfair Celebrate Grand Opening of Community-Serving Hub
Not-for-profit groups come together to form La Esquina de Quetzal at Quetzal Gardens to serve families and small businesses in East San Jose
June 27, 2022 08:45 ET | Source: Excite Credit Union
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Excite Credit Union (Excite), Latino Business Foundation Silicon Valley (LBFSV), and SOMOS Mayfair (SOMOS) will participate in the grand opening of Quetzal Gardens on Wednesday, June 29. The three community-service organizations will be ground floor tenants of the recently completed Quetzal Gardens affordable housing complex in East San Jose.
Quetzal Gardens is a mixed-use development project built by Resources for Community Development, a respected not-for-profit developer committed to creating affordable housing and engaging the community. The development includes 71 affordable housing apartments.
Quetzal Gardens, Excite, LBFSV, and SOMOS have collaborated closely for years and are committed to serving families in Mayfair, Plato Arroyo, Little Portugal, the Alum Rock Corridor, and across East San Jose. As the ground floor tenants of this new property, the three organizations will bring resources, programs, and training that reflect the needs and support East San Jose families' strengths, including language-accessible and culturally relevant services to the area’s residents, neighbors, and businesses. The three not-for-profit groups call their ground-floor space La Esquina de Quetzal (corner of Quetzal).
“Coming together for this grand opening is an opportunity to celebrate the neighborhood’s culture and history and to be part of the vibrancy of East San Jose,” said John Hogan, Vice President of Community Relations for Excite Credit Union. “We couldn’t be more excited to open a branch in Quetzal Gardens. The location is perfectly suited to reach families and small businesses that will benefit from a credit union. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Excite can meet the unique needs of this diverse, entrepreneurial community.”
Excite Credit Union’s La Esquina de Quetzal branch will offer a full range of financial services, including checking, saving, personal loans, retirement planning, business services, and more. Excite specializes in serving the unbanked and underbanked and has flexible identification requirements for accounts and loans. They also offer services in Spanish and Vietnamese. La Esquina de Quetzal branch address is 1695 Alum Rock Ave, Suite 50, San Jose, CA 95116
SOMOS’s new offices will serve as the organization’s headquarters, with meeting spaces, workstations, and internal and external programming spaces. San Jose families can access resources, referrals, leadership development workshops, organizing opportunities, and early learning programs.
LBFSV will host a Small Business Resource Center. The brick-and-mortar communal space will provide an easy “one-stop-shop” for local entrepreneurs to gather, create community, and engage with direct business services. As the first of its kind, the Center will be the linchpin for a growing community of East San Jose small businesses, particularly as a space for women and immigrant-owned enterprises to find accessible and relevant support.
“We are so proud to be a part of this project, especially knowing that a community-led process shaped the design and direction of Quetzal Gardens,” said Saul Ramos, Co-Executive Director of SOMOS Mayfair. “This building will serve as a model of development without displacement, and we are excited for all the ways our work organizing and equipping families will flourish in this new, accessible space.”
“Our new La Esquina de Quetzal location is centrally located in the Alum Rock corridor, making an ideal location to aid local businesses,” said Jesus Flores, President and CEO of LBFSV. “The needs of the community shape our Direct Business Services. We plan to start by hosting our physical business incubator and holding workshops to address issues affecting area businesses. We will provide services based on the needs of our local business community.”
About Our Organizations
Latino Business Foundation of Silicon Valley
The Latino Business Foundation of Silicon Valley’s mission is to provide empowering resources to existing and future leaders in the business community through long-lasting learning and support. Our model of work reflects three key pillars: advocacy, community building, and small business services. LBFSV supports over 1500 small businesses (450 of these are a part of the Berryessa Flea Market). www.lbfsv.org
Excite Credit Union
Excite Credit Union is member-owned and member-focused, giving everyone the chance to build a stronger financial future. With branches in California and North Carolina, Excite offers a full range of banking services and is committed to making life affordable for everyone. Excite also is the only credit union based in Santa Clara County designated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Low Income Designated Credit Union (LICU), and a Juntos Avanzamos member. These designations reflect the credit union’s ongoing commitment to serving low-to-moderate income and immigrant communities with fair, safe bank deposit and loan products. For more information, visit www.excitecu.org
SOMOS Mayfair
SOMOS Mayfair builds community power in East San José through leadership development and by organizing around resident-led solutions. Our mission is to support children, organize families, and connect neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of the community and address systemic inequities. www.somosmayfair.org
Quetzal Gardens
Quetzal Gardens is a vibrant, mixed-use development with 71 new affordable rental apartments located at the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and North King Road, across the street from the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Directly adjacent to a bus-rapid transit line and less than two miles away from the Berryessa/North San José BART station, this transit-oriented development is a significant community investment designed to complement and enhance the existing neighborhood. The all-electric, energy-efficient building provides affordable homes for low-income families and 32 households transitioning out of homelessness. https://rcdhousing.org/quetzal-gardens/