An artist's rendering of the City Center project in Fresno. Image via Fresno Mission

The Fresno Mission’s City Center project received a $500,000 grant donation from Bank of America Wednesday, marking the largest single support grant the bank has ever provided in the Fresno area.

The funds will be used to help construct the Heartbeat Hub Welcome Center, which will greet families in crisis upon their arrival at City Center, located near Dakota and Blackstone avenues.

With more than 180,000 square feet of space, the $30-million City Center aims to provide a safe, centralized location for families and individuals. It will hold a soft opening in January 2023 with hopes to be fully functional by the end of that year.

Acting as a one-stop-shop to assist families and individuals with children facing life crises ranging from homelessness and human trafficking to food insecurity, City Center will house up to 20 nonprofit organizations on site to assist individuals and families who may benefit from their services.

The center will also be home to a school and will be able to house up to 72 families upon completion.

After the onset of the pandemic, the Fresno-Madera region saw nearly three times as many individuals facing homelessness by 2021.

As the first facility of its kind in California, City Center hopes the nine-acre campus will provide assistance to those in need by consolidating services in one location, providing ease of access to individuals and families seeking their services.