A 7,000-square-foot vacant California lot has become a community refuge where residents can cool off during heat waves, charge phones during blackouts, and prepare for disasters
San Ysidro, the busiest border crossing in the United States, now has a haven for residents vulnerable to climate change. Casa Familiar, an environmental justice nonprofit, officially opened La Semilla Community Resiliency Center this week on a once-vacant 7,000-square-foot lot, according to a report by KPBS. The centre, which sits on West Park Avenue near Hall Avenue, was inaugurated on Thursday, September 3.Residents of San Ysidro now have a place to cool down during heat waves, charge their devices during blackouts, and gather when disasters strike.
First-of-its-kind climate resiliency centre
Pic credit:kpbs/ Tammy Murga
La Semilla Community Resiliency Center is a first-of-its-kind project in the San Diego area. Think of it as a haven for those vulnerable to climate change. Lisa Cuestas, CEO of Casa Familiar, the nonprofit organisation that built the centre, said it is a place where residents learn to prepare for extreme weather and other climate threats.“This hub is absolutely an education space on how to react and how to respond and how to get ready for disasters and emergencies,” she said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The organisation plans to host a community workshop on September 23 focused on preparing residents for an intensifying El Niño winter.“Our climate is changing. We see it all around us, and this is one of the ways we’re trying to address it,” Mayor Todd Gloria said at the ceremony.“In 2024, we broke ground on La Semilla – a vacant lot with a vision to become something much more for the community. Today, that vision is a resource center designed to help residents in San Ysidro and beyond prepare for the climate challenges we’re already facing. This is what investment in San Ysidro looks like: transforming vacant spaces into resources that strengthen neighborhoods, build climate resilience, and prepare San Diegans for the future. What started as a seed is now taking root, and I’m excited to see how La Semilla continues to grow,” he added.
Building green to beat pollution
Pic credit:kpbs/ Tammy Murga
The centre itself is built with a climate-smart approach. The main building was built using mass timber, large wood panels that store carbon. They carry a smaller carbon footprint than steel and concrete, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Even on a dark day, the centre won’t go dark, as solar panels generate power. Electric vehicle charging stations are also available at the centre. A community garden grows food. Water cisterns capture and store rainfall.Bertha Ruiz, who has lived in San Ysidro for 30 years, helped guide the centre’s design. During the ceremony, she said that she realised how polluted San Ysidro truly was only after respiratory problems plagued her family.San Ysidro has been subjected to more environmental challenges than most neighbourhoods. About 100,000 vehicles cross the U.S.-Mexico Port of Entry daily. In 2024, the San Ysidro crossing handled roughly 15 million cars entering the United States, according to the Federal Highway Administration. This is more than any other port of entry shared with Mexico. All those vehicles idling in border queues release exhaust directly into residential blocks. But that is not the only problem San Ysidro residents face. The Tijuana River, which carries sewage pollution across the border, has contributed to high hydrogen sulphide levels that repeatedly exceed state standards. The freeways cutting through the neighbourhood add another layer of air quality degradation.Ruiz added that La Semilla is bringing nature and more mobility options to her neighbourhood.This project was made possible with an $8.5 million grant from the California Strategic Growth Council, Cuestas added.While the centre is a haven in the face of climate challenges, it is more than a cooling space. The residents are learning skills and strategies for reducing energy use, managing extreme heat, and preparing for emergencies. The project is positioned in a community that faces significant challenges like air quality, clean transportation, sustainable living spaces, water and energy conservation. In a climate-disrupted future, that’s the kind of hope worth building on.
