Adopt Resolution 2026-129
In 2024, the City of Banning was awarded a development grant through the California Strategic Growth Council Community Resilience Centers Round 1 Grant Program in the amount of $1,000,070 to upgrade the electrical infrastructure, solicit community input and create a design plan to develop the former Armory Building located at 2041 Nicolet Street into a year-round Community Center and Climate Resilience Center for Banning Residents.
At the October 14, 2025 regular meeting of the Banning City Council, the City Council approved a professional services agreement with Richard Yen & Associates, Architects and Planners, inc. (RYAO) to perform the Phase I planning for the Armory project including the community engagement, facility assessment, develop a phased concept plan, and create construction documents necessary to move forward with construction when funding becomes available. City Staff has worked closely with RYAO to complete community engagement, develop a concept plan, and provide an initial cost estimate for the improvement project. The work with RYAO is scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2027 and improvements would then be made as funding becomes available.
GRANT DETAILS:
* The California Strategic Growth Council has released a notice of funding availability for Round 2 of their Climate Resilience Centers Program and the City is preparing an application for an implementation grant. There is a total of $55,000,000 in available funding with a maximum award of $10,000,000.
* The City's application request will be for a total of $10,000,000 to support the development and implementation of the former Armory facility to operate as a year-round community center and a climate resiliency center in the event of emergencies.
* The grant funding will be used to perform construction upgrades to the facility including installation of HVAC systems, a backup generator, redesign of the restrooms and kitchen to allow for an operating facility.
* Similar to the development grant the City received, the Implementation Grant would require the use of a Collaborative Stakeholder Structure which formalizes local partnerships with community based organizations, local tribes, and other agencies that show a wide range of community support.
* The grant funding requires a minimum of one direct partnership with a community based organization such as the local Faith in Action organization to perform community outreach and facilitate life improvement classes and programming at the site.
The City of Banning was awarded an initial development grant for the project to design the future facility to best serve the community. Partnering with RYAO, the City has performed significant public outreach including surveys through the City Website, pop up events and scheduled public meetings and workshops to aid in the development of the plan for the facility and is in the process of incorporating the responses into the construction plans for the future facility. The Implementation Grant would aid in the fruition of that project and does not require a match of City funds.
The City of Banning is identified as a Priority Community based on median household income and census tracts identified as disadvantaged by CalEnviroscreen.
If the City is awarded the Implementation Grant, there is not a required match for the project. Although the development phase is still moving forward, the requested grant amount is sufficient based on initial cost estimates for the Phase I improvements to the facility. This includes structural upgrades to the facility to ensure the building is up to code, clean up of the facade and some exterior improvements, redesign and improvements to the restrooms and kitchen, audio visual installation as well as installation of an HVAC system and backup generator.