Digital NEST seeks to open in East Salinas.

At the heart of East Salinas neighboring Acosta Plaza, there’s a space known as a hub for services to vulnerable youth and families.

The 16,000-square-foot Breadbox Recreation Center houses the Alisal Center for the Fine Arts, which provides free art and music classes to about 300 community members; Second Chance Youth Program, an intervention program that serves at-risk youth; and a portion of the city’s recreation department.

For years, these organizations have filled in a void for educational and after-school programs in the community. But uncertainty has plagued current tenants as the city discusses bringing a high-tech nonprofit to the city-owned Breadbox.

“We continue to hear rumblings about someone taking over the location, from everyone but the city,” Alisal Center board member Annabelle Rodriguez says.

The plans were made public at a Jan. 12 City Council meeting, after city Economic Development Manager Andrew Myrick said the nonprofit Digital NEST wants to open a training center in East Salinas.

The Watsonville-based education center trains teens and young adults to expand their technical skills with an eye on career development. The nonprofit would need about $800,000 to fuel its first two years in East Salinas.

Taylor Farms and South Swell Ventures are helping the financial effort, Salinas City Manager Ray Corpuz says, adding the city may allocate up to $50,000 toward the project.

Two local donors have already pledged $100,000 each to Digital NEST to make the Salinas project happen, but officials refuse to identify them.

Bud Colligan, South Swell’s founder and CEO, says general donors behind the project include him and his wife; local ag industry leaders Bruce Taylor and Lorri Koster; and up to four foundations that he declined to identify.

Digital NEST has proven successful in Watsonville, doubling in size in less than a year and expanding its headquarters. It would provide youth and young adults in East Salinas with access to computers, wi-fi and software training, with a goal of eventually placing them into paying jobs and internships at local companies.

“This fits with our ag-tech emphasis, which we have been promoting,” City Manager Ray Corpuz says. “But no decision has been made. We haven’t raised all the funds yet.”

Digital NEST founder Jacob Martinez says the nonprofit’s board will meet in mid-February to give the final OK, and says a venue and timeline for the opening have not yet been determined.

“I am not opposed to sharing the [Breadbox], or taking over an empty mall or building, but being in East Salinas is non-negotiable,” Martinez says. “We are opening where the kids need it the most.”

Current Breadbox tenants say they feel uneasy about the perceived lack of transparency from the city; Corpuz says the city will engage the community once funding is secured.

“We are not sure of where we will open, but we are not in the mode of pushing any people out of a building.” Martinez says. “We want to create meaningful collaborations with community members.”