Esperanza Peace and Justice Center hosts Grand Opening for Lerma’s

Check out KENS-5 coverage of the grand opening, with 90-year-old singer Blanca Rosa.  She first started singing at Lerma’s when she was 15.

Lerma’s Nite Club, located at 1612 N. Zarzamora, achieved fame as the longest running live conjunto music venue in Central and South Texas.  When it closed in 2010, the building faced demolition until concerned advocates, including the Conservation Society, came together to save it.

Lerma’s received local landmark designation and was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance to Hispanic cultural heritage.  But the building  needed renovation before it could serve the Westside community again.

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center acquired Lerma’s in 2012.  After receiving restoration funds from both the City and Bexar County, Esperanza held a groundbreaking ceremony in 2019 to kick off Lerma’s long-anticipated rehabilitation as a cultural community arts center.

Congratulations to Esperanza for reaching this latest milestone!  Out of the five planned spaces within the building, one is finished and occupied by Conjunto Heritage Taller, a group dedicated to the carrying on the Conjunto music tradition.

Lerma’s: Este Lugar Es Importante – This Place Matters!