Anthony Armour, CEO of Neighborhood Industries (center) receives a $1.5 million check in this October 2022 file photo.

Neighborhood Industries announced Wednesday the public phase of its “Reimagining Neighborhood” capital campaign aimed at purchasing and renovating their building.

In addition to the announcement, Neighborhood Industries was also presented with a commitment of $1.5 million secured from state funding by California Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula.

The campaign’s goals includes the purchase and renovation of the Neighborhood Thrift building at 353 E. Olive Ave., as well as re-investment into the Tower District that the organization calls home.

“The dream of buying our building has been years in the making,” said Neighborhood Industries CEO Anthony Armour. “To finally reach this stage of publicly announcing our intentions to our community feels like a dream come true, and an opportunity to be as transparent about our goals as possible.”

The campaign goal is to ultimately raise $2.5 million, with the first $500,000 used for the downpayment on the building, $700,000 dedicated to renovations and the remaining $1.3 million projected to be funded by 2024 to pay off the building.

Renovations will include a dedicated learning center with spaces for group lessons, gatherings, study spaces, and spaces for case managers to work with employees and community members in need of assistance.

The building will also get a new parking lot and donation center, new floors and new roofing, replacing the current leaky roof.

First opened in 2008, Neighborhood Thrift is located in Tower District where many of the store’s employees also reside in.

“I’ve heard the stories about people coming in, being homeless, moving up the ranks, becoming managers, buying homes [and] buying cars,” said Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria. “Those are really important stories to tell.”

Soria challenged Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer to assist Neighborhood Thrift and Tower District in requesting city funding to help renovate the facade of the Neighborhood Thrift building and other buildings in Tower District through a budgeted facade improvement project – an item Soria said was set aside in the city budget this year.

Dyer unofficially acknowledged the request with a smile, nod and casual assurance that assistance would be on the way.

“It’s done,” Dyer said, acknowledging Soria’s request.

California Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, who secured $1.5 million toward the campaign, praised Neighborhood Industries as an “exceptional example of a nonprofit organization.” He added that funding secured through the State of California will help bring hope and programs to the disadvantaged living in the area.

“This is a diamond in the rough for a community like ours where those who have hit rock bottom have the opportunity to uplift themselves,” Arambula said. “To get themselves back to work, to get themselves on the right track by working with those who have walked the path themselves.”

Armour praised the Tower District as a melting pot of all demographics.

“What I love about this neighborhood is that you can be a precariously housed individual, a doctor, an assemblymember or a lawyer; we all call this our neighborhood,” Armour said. “I think that’s something that’s super special.”

Armour added that putting every dollar of the $1.5 million contributed back to the community would be an incredible feat.