ONTARIO, Calif. – The City of Ontario has formally signed the paperwork for its $33.25 million grant awarded by the California Strategic Growth Council, which will finance the City’s planned development of a modern urban village in and around its historic downtown core.
The highly-competitive Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant was awarded to Ontario in 2018 to support the city’s plans to create new economic opportunities and improve the health and well-being of residents. The development plan includes modern affordable housing, multimodal transportation, an urban greening program, an expansive rollout of solar energy, a small business incubator and workforce and career training.
The TCC funds are intended to support communities committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving environmental, economic and health outcomes for their residents.
“This is an exciting moment for Ontario, and we hope, once again, that we can serve as a model for other communities,” said Mayor Paul S. Leon. “As a City Council, it has long been our vision to bring all these pieces together in a way that has a profound, transformative impact on the City. We’re grateful for the Strategic Growth Council’s confidence in us, and for the countless community partners who helped make this happen.”
Among the projects included in the downtown plan:
- A 101-unit affordable housing development located on Holt Avenue, just west of Grove Avenue – in partnership with National Community Renaissance.
- Increased bus service along Euclid Avenue and a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the area.
- The community-run Ontario Carbon Farm, will be initiating a pilot program to collect organic waste to create composting in support of growing healthy soils for our community.
- The planting of 365 trees in the project area.
- A small business incubator program and enhanced workforce training and job placement services.
- The installation of rooftop solar on up to 100 single- and multi-family homes. In addition to the energy and environmental benefits, the weatherization program will provide training and job benefits for residents.
“The SGC is thrilled to see Ontario’s hard work come to fruition as their plans for transforming the City become a reality. We’re looking forward to seeing the impacts of this investment resonate in the community for generations to come,” said SGC Executive Director Louise Bedsworth.
Many of the projects will break ground or kick off in the coming months. Others will be rolled out in phases over the next few years. To learn more about the TCC grant, visit www.ontariotogether.com.