A downtown Fresno improvement tax is expiring. Will property owners vote for renewal?
Downtown Fresno property owners are opting to move forward with the process to continue taxing themselves to receive special services meant to attract patrons and further spur downtown revitalization.
A majority of 163 property owners petitioned to renew downtown’s Property and Business Improvement District, commonly called PBID and formally branded as the Downtown Fresno Partnership. PBID began in 2011 with three geographical zones and already was renewed once. The current agreement expires this year.
Next steps include gaining Fresno City Council approval and a formal election.
Through the PBID agreement, the city of Fresno and Downtown Fresno Partnership provide services such as litter removal, landscaping, security, marketing, hosting events, and helping to attract and support businesses around the Fulton corridor.
Over the years, the PBID has raised millions in funding. The management plan from the last renewal estimated the district would raise around $850,000 in 2022.
While the renewal process is moving forward, there was a bit of drama to get there.
Last week, the Downtown Fresno Partnership’s board of directors called an emergency special meeting to address questions and concerns about PBID renewal. City leaders also attended.
Some property owners had questions about the term of the renewal or voiced concerns that not much changed downtown as a result of the PBID. Others had questions about changing focus and following the PBID management plan, said Jimmy Cerracchio, president and CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership.
“We’re at a point in time where people really need to think about where their money’s going,” Cerracchio said. “They want to make sure they’re getting the biggest bang for their buck, and before they fully commit to that, especially if they’re a large property owner with a lot to pay, they want to make sure that things are getting done that they want to see get done.”
John Ostlund, owner of One Putt Broadcasting, said he reluctantly supported PBID at first. Almost immediately, he was unhappy with the city’s delivery of baseline services. He also remains disappointed at the high turnover rate at the Downtown Fresno Partnership.
“There’s nothing wrong with the PBID concept. It’s an excellent way for a community to pull itself up by the bootstraps,” Ostlund said. “We all stood in line and said, ‘OK, let’s all chip in our money.’ We all put up $8 million. That’s a lot of money. I don’t care who you are. So what do we have to show for it?”
Ostlund takes photos along Fulton Street that show boarded-up shop windows, piles of leaves, and graffiti. The photos, he said, are evidence PBID isn’t working as intended in downtown Fresno.
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the downtown police unit was disbanded. At the special meeting last week, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer committed to restoring and expanding the unit, Assistant City Manager Greg Barfield said. The mayor also shared his plans to bring more housing and residents downtown, which would boost downtown businesses.
Many who attended the special emergency meeting had already signed the petition for renewal and voiced their support for PBID, Cerracchio said.
That included Mike Cruz, president of Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co., the anchor of the downtown brewery district.
“We wouldn’t really be where we are on an event level without having some form of a PBID and downtown support for events,” he said.
The Downtown Fresno Partnership has been an essential service for property owners, Cruz said, whether it’s trying to lease a building or put on an event.
“It would be really a shame to take it away at this point when we’re at the cusp of really getting even more momentum, especially coming off of a pandemic,” Cruz said.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.