City of Coachella secures $10 million climate grant for multipurpose facility

A state-level committee awarded the city of Coachella a $10 million grant with the intent of making the area "a more climate-resilient community,'' a municipal spokesperson announced today.

Approved by the California Strategic Growth Council, the Community Resilience Center (CRC) Implementation Grant Award will be used to modify the current Hidden Harvest facility on Peter Rabbit Lane into the Coachella Community Resilience Center, according to a press release. The CRC will function as an emergency shelter, garden space, food hub, resource center and workforce training location, among other purposes.  

"Having all of these essential services housed under one roof at our new Resilience Center is a huge step in the right direction,'' Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a statement.

Several partners have already pledged to assist the city with the new multipurpose center, including GRID Alternatives Inland Empire, Hidden Harvest, The LEAP Institute, University of California, Berkeley, and the County of Riverside Emergency Management Department, the spokesperson said.

The new facility will also implement some environmentally friendly components in its design and operations, from solar panels and solar generators to zero-emission rideshare transportation and other nature-based solutions, according to the press release.

In addition to accelerating progress toward municipal climate-related goals, these features are intended to "expand economic opportunities, and reduce health, environmental, and social inequities,'' per the spokesperson. In doing so, current design plans emphasize "flexibility, sustainability and accessibility ... to accommodate all individuals' needs, including the community's priority populations."  

City officials promised to provide additional details and time frames with next week's press conference at the future CRC site and continued social media updates.

"The $30 million we secured over the past few months, coupled with an additional $20 million we are pursuing are all earmarked for the continued expansion of accessible resources for our residents that will continue helping enhance their quality of life,'' Hernandez said.