FRESNO, Calif. — The California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities program (TCC) is proud to celebrate the recognition of a Round 1 funded project by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for being a successful Brownfields redevelopment in southwest Fresno.
The Saint Rest + Food to Share Hub has been recognized as a national model for revitalization of contaminated or underused properties. Once home to a bakery, gas station and meatpacking plant, the 6,800-square-foot warehouse stood vacant for years due to contamination and structural decline. With $1.5 million in funding from Transform Fresno, a Round 1 recipient of the TCC program, Saint Rest Baptist Church led efforts to turn the site into a vibrant community food hub.
The EPA’s Brownfields Program, which helps communities safely clean up and reuse properties that may be contaminated with hazardous substances, provided technical assistance and supported environmental assessments, cleanup and planning. The full project costs reached more than $6 million, with contributions from federal, state, local and philanthropic partners.
The hub officially opened in May 2024 and now serves as a food recovery and distribution center. It offers nutrition education, cooking classes and monthly markets. The project has created 51 local jobs and supports ongoing programs that improve access to healthy food for families in the region.
“This is about more than food. It’s about restoring dignity,” said Pastor D.J. Criner of Saint Rest Baptist Church in an interview with EPA’s Brownfields Program.
The project demonstrates how TCC funding, combined with strong local leadership and federal partnership, can bring lasting community benefits.
Transformative Climate Communities (TCC)
The Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program empowers the communities most impacted by pollution to choose their own goals, strategies, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. The program is administered by SGC and implemented by the California Department of Conservation, along with other partnering state agencies. Round 1 funding was part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities. For more information, visit California Climate Investments.