Ahead of Friday’s Gusto! Italian Festival, Little Italy Endicott, announced the launch of a capital project to preserve and revitalize the organization’s heritage center on Odell Avenue. Little Italy is looking to improve the center, making the center a place where residents can learn more about Endicott’s Italian community’s history and heritage. Some visions for the new space include a history wall, a kitchen for cooking, art and language classes and an area to promote neighborhood businesses.

“Whether it’s the cooking classes or just sharing stories about those who made the journey here for a better life, we want to be able to have something that not only pays tribute to the past but also gives residents today an idea of what it was like for residents to settle here to come to this country to start fresh to start a life life,” said Mike Tanzini, Secretary of Little Italy Endicott.