Looking out the window at a patch of unused pavement outside Centro Civico Mexicano, John Renteria wistfully says he'd like to create green space by laying down some sod and planting a few trees.
"If I don't get dethroned (this) week, that's one of the things I'm going to do," says Renteria, for now president of the board of perhaps the state's oldest Hispanic organization.
On Tuesday, the membership of the organization will vote on whether Renteria should be removed from his office. It will be the culmination of a conflict between Renteria and board members who say the situation has "become unbearable."
The leadership dispute is something that longtime members say the civic center will survive. Like any longstanding organization, it's had its share of troubles in the past.
The original building burned down, says Tomas Perez, the organization's treasurer. His wife, Dolores, remembers "there were times we haven't had enough money to pay the utilities."
The organization, founded in 1939, is perhaps best-known for its festivals celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day, but it also has served as a social center on Salt Lake's west side. It houses alternative high school, computer lab and English as a second language programs, provided by Horizonte Instruction Services and the University of Utah.
Everyone involved in Centro Civico has plans for developing the facilities into a more vibrant center. For his part, Perez would like to see offices developed so it can house nonprofit organizations. Another longtime member, Beatrice Sanchez, would like to see the Junior Jazz return.
Creating a green space is only a small piece of Renteria's vision for redeveloping the center, to keep pace with sprawling development on Salt Lake's west side. An inter-modal transportation hub is planned across the street, and Salt Lake's light-rail system eventually will have a stop nearby.
Renteria wants to tear down the white brick facility and rebuild it, saying, "We missed the boat a long time ago to really develop this property when it was cheaper to do so."
His frustration is two-fold: Many board members want to develop the center at a more conservative pace, and the broader community doesn't seem to want to get involved.
"The potential that we have here is one of the things that keeps me going," he says. "It's rough working with people who don't see eye to eye with you."
However, other board members have had similar complaints about Renteria. In a letter of impeachment sent out to the general membership, board members say Renteria has "created an atmosphere of hostility and intimidation" and that he's "seriously impaired" day-to-day operations.
While personality conflicts aren't new, the current leadership dispute started this summer when the board voted to oust Renteria and vice president Richard Montano while Renteria was jailed on a violation of his probation for misdemeanor traffic violations.
Renteria has since been released and has said the board violated the bylaws by ousting him. He maintained the board members who moved into the president and vice president slots had forfeited their positions.
At another meeting several board members voted to move to impeach Renteria according to the bylaws. At that meeting, several people expressed frustration with Renteria's leadership style.
Tomas Perez was the only board member present who voted against moving toward impeachment, though he signed the letter sent to general membership. At the time Perez had said it would be better to let Renteria finish his term, which ends this fall.
While he's seen the organization struggle in the past, Perez and his wife Dolores say the current strife is personally troubling.
"It's been very hard for us," said Dolores Perez. "We've known John and his family for years. It's hard to see this happening."
The couple held their marriage reception at Centro Civico and are hoping to have their 50th anniversary party here next year.
Tomas Perez first became a member of Centro Civico in 1957, just a few years after he immigrated from Mexico. Dolores says her involvement started at weekly women's meetings shortly after the couple married. Dolores, originally from Colorado, was new to the state.
"It was so much fun," she says. "That's where I learned a lot about making Mexican paper flowers. ... That's where I learned to make tamales."
And there were dances held at bygone locations such as Carpenters Hall and the Terrace Ballroom.
"We'd get ready for weeks and weeks, get our hair done, get a baby-sitter," Sanchez said.
Robert Rendon, foundation president for the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, remembers playing in Centro's bygone Little League during the mid-1960s.
Now he's on a reorganization committee that's looking at moving Centro into the future. One thing he sees as key is expanding the reach beyond Mexicans to "make it a center for the entire Hispanic community." Rendon hopes the leadership dispute will pass quickly so efforts to revitalize the community center can move forward.
Renteria, who first served on the board while he was a student at the University of Utah, says he's been trying to recruit "new blood" to move the organization forward ever since.
While the mutual frustration remains, there is a sign that the organization is progressing. While the board had first considered whether the conflict would prevent the upcoming Mexican Independence Day celebration, all sides now appear to be working together to make it happen.
And like many longtime members, Beatrice Sanchez is determined to make the organization's future bright.
"We're going to get through this. ... It is still kind of the cornerstone of the community. People come here from Latin American countries, particularly Mexico. They come to find out what's available."
E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com