An empty Walmart in Fresno is getting two new businesses. One caters to kids
The big empty Walmart on West Shaw Avenue is getting a major makeover — and at least two new businesses are moving in.
Construction workers are building a new front on part of the building and adding on to the side to accommodate the new renters.
The former Walmart at the northeast corner of Shaw and Brawley avenues has been mostly empty since the retailer moved to a bigger location across Brawley in 2018 (with the exception of the Scare Factory haunted house that took over some of the space at Halloween).
The first new business to move in once work is finished will likely be Chuze Fitness. The San Diego-based gym has locations in eight states, with the closest fitness centers in Bakersfield and Stockton.
Its website shows all the traditional gym equipment, including machines and weights. Some locations have a Kids Club, pool, movie theater with treadmills, sauna, and a juice bar, though Chuze Fitness did not immediately return messages about whether the Fresno location would have these features.
Memberships start at $15.99 a month, plus an annual fee.
Both Chuze and Kids Empire have signed leases to move into the building, confirmed Nick Frechou, senior vice president at Retail California, part of the firm involved in crafting the leases.
Kids Empire will take over 12,500 square feet of the building. The building owner, a local investor, built onto the former garden center on the west end of the building, to accommodate the business.
Kids Empire is an indoor theme park with playgrounds and obstacle courses. It has a location in the former IMAX theater in River Park and another and another across from Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis.
Kids Empire did not return requests for comment.
Both businesses could be open by the end of the year, Frechou said.
A grocery store in the Walmart?
The Walmart was about 127,000 square feet when it was in operation. With the two tenants moving, about 76,000 square feet is left to rent out.
Retail California is continuing to market the space to potential tenants and willing to subdivide it into smaller spaces.
It would especially like to find a grocery store for the remaining space, Frechou said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM.
