Fresno’s vacant buildings will have to be improved or owners face fines, city leader says
The city of Fresno began the effort Monday to inspect vacant commercial buildings, an attempt to make owners do something with them rather than sit on them, according to officials.
Councilmember Miguel Arias brought members of the media inside the old Gottschalks building in downtown Fresno to give residents a preview of what’s to come.
Arias said about 20 commercial buildings have become the priority in his district for the blighted and vacant structures program. That includes spots in Tower District, downtown and in Chinatown.
The former Gottschalks building is owned by the city.
“We’re going to remove the incentive to sit on it. It’s actually pretty cheap to maintain a building in this condition,” Arias said. “There’s very little property tax while it’s vacant. The city doesn’t require you to make improvements.”
“That will change this year with this inspection program,” he said.
The empty building is about 40,000 square feet, according to city staffers, and hasn’t had a tenant for more than two decades.
The three-story building was secure before the weekend started but showed signs of someone trying to break in, according to staffers. Plywood had been pulled from where a window had been smashed, but metal fencing provided another obstacle.
Inspectors look for safety issues, like potentially dangerous wiring, a collection of combustible materials or a sagging roof, according to Christina Roberson, assistant city attorney with the city. The City Attorney’s Office oversees code enforcement.
“We want to make sure the building is clear of that kind of stuff,” Roberson said. “There are also structural issues, things that are going to be hazardous.”
The old Gottschalks was found to be lacking a fire suppression system, which may be related to its electrical power not working, according to Arias. Its alarm system has been gutted by thieves and entryways had been damaged.
The idea is the city will have to fix whatever code enforcement officers find to be absolutely necessary. Building owners will have to follow suit on their property around the city or face fines, Arias said.
“If that means they have to check on their building daily then that’s what it means,” Arias said.
Fines at vacant buildings
If owners fail to comply with code enforcement warnings, they could face fines from $2,500 to $10,000. Owners who buy vacant buildings will have 60 days to bring them into compliance.
Vacant buildings matter not only because they blight business areas, but they are a common source of fires, according to the Fresno Fire Department. The month of April saw 600 fires, putting the city on pace to shatter records, according to the department.
The Gottschalks building has recently been up for sale for $1.2 million, including the parking structure next door, but that deal fell through. The city has since planned an improvement to the parking garage of about $1 million.
Incentives
The city does not have incentive programs for those taking over vacant commercial buildings other than an expedited process through bureaucracy.
There is a $25 million fund to help those looking to buy empty buildings and turn them into housing. Some fees are also waived for that kind of project.
Officials said buildings that draw complaints will get priority for code enforcement assessments. Fresno code enforcement can be reached at 559-621-8400.
