Stockton Youth Center Gets $12M for Construction
Local contractors can expect building work from late 2026, while nonprofits must fund all staffing and programs separately.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Stockton City Councilmember Jason Lee secured more than $12 million in state funding for the I Am Ready Stockton Youth Center, an approximately 20,000-square-foot building planned for an empty lot on South Center Street. The grant comes through California's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and must go entirely toward construction, with groundbreaking planned for November 2026.
Why it matters
The funding is restricted to building construction, so the project's operating costs such as salaries and programs must be covered separately. For Stockton's construction contractors, the project is expected to create local hiring opportunities.
The state grant totals more than $12 million for an approximately 20,000-square-foot facility that will include 20 respite beds for youth. The source does not provide a comparator for the award amount or the project's total budget.
The players
Hollywood Cares
A nonprofit organization that secured the state funding for the youth center project.
Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program
A California state program that funds behavioral health facility construction, the source of the grant.
The details
The grant was secured through the nonprofit Hollywood Cares, which Councilmember Jason Lee leads. Because the funding is an infrastructure grant, it can be spent only on building construction and cannot be used for salaries or programming. The planned building will house a community mental health clinic, 20 respite beds, after-school programs, and a counseling hub for parents and youth, on a lot across from Edison High School.
Timeline
November 2026: Construction is planned to break ground, with the exact date not yet determined.
Fall 2028: The youth center is expected to open its doors.
Market Landscape
State infrastructure grants under the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program direct capital dollars to specific facility types rather than to ongoing operations. This structure makes local projects like the Stockton center dependent on separate operating funding after construction.
Stockton construction firms should watch for the hiring and bidding activity this project is expected to generate starting late 2026. Nonprofits and service providers planning youth programs should note that the grant cannot cover staffing or program costs, so operating budgets must be arranged separately.
The takeaway
Nonprofits pursuing capital grants should build a separate operating budget before construction ends, since infrastructure funding does not cover staffing or programs. Local contractors should monitor the project's bid timeline ahead of the planned November 2026 groundbreaking.
What happens next
Construction groundbreaking is planned for November 2026, with the exact date still to be set.
Further reading
Explore more nonprofit-funded community projects in Philanthropy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KCRA.
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