The innovative San Ysidro center ‘La Semilla’ will provide shelter during wildfires, heatwaves, and power outages.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held this Wednesday for a community center focused on environmental justice at the border, attended by community leaders and local officials, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
The Community Resilience Center “La Semilla” is the first of its kind in southern San Diego, led by members of Casa Familiar.
This construction project will transform a 7,000-square-foot vacant lot in San Ysidro into a versatile, multi-purpose center designed to serve area residents during climate events or emergencies.
Details of the La Semilla Project in San Ysidro
‘La Semilla’ is designed as a community campus built to withstand heatwaves, power outages, and other climate events while educating people on sustainable strategies they can replicate at home.
The project involves converting a vacant lot on West Park Avenue, near Hall Avenue, in San Ysidro into a five-site complex. Programming will include gardening, food conservation and composting, emergency preparedness, and workforce development.
The main building, called La Estancia, will serve as a cooling zone during emergencies and host most of the programming. The Food Forest will be a community garden with a greenhouse, El Nido will provide sustainability-focused education, Cypress Plaza will be an outdoor gathering space, and Parking Grove will feature electric vehicle charging stations. According to the nonprofit organization, the campus will be fully solar-powered, with a backup generator, broadband connections, and air filtration that exceeds state requirements.
Georgette Gómez, Casa Familiar’s community development officer, said San Ysidro residents wanted quality places to seek refuge in emergencies, and La Semilla’s design was built with their feedback in mind.
“This entire project is an educational center where residents can learn about air quality in terms of what the problem is, but more importantly, what the solutions are to improve their own quality of life”, Gómez said.
La Semilla will be the latest in a growing list of more than 100 resilience centers nationwide. These centers have become more popular as hazards like wildfires, heatwaves, and blackouts last longer and occur more frequently. California has dedicated approximately $200 million to develop them. Casa Familiar received $8.46 million in grant funding earlier this year to build its project.
The groundbreaking is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to noon at 213 West Park Ave. in San Ysidro. Construction is expected to be completed by next summer.
