Shuttered Radisson in downtown Fresno can’t offer ‘a safe environment,’ mayor says

Mayor Jerry Dyer Thursday said unsafe conditions involving the fire alarm system at the former Radisson Hotel in downtown Fresno forced the closure of the landmark hotel at Van Ness and Tulare avenues.

“It came to our attention that anticipated repairs to the building’s fire alarm system would not be completed prior to a scheduled fire inspection on Friday,” Dyer said in a statement.

The Fresno Bee broke the news Thursday that the hotel was not taking reservations and that the Radisson hotel chain had ended its affiliation with the business owners. The owners could not be immediately reached to comment on the closure.

Dyer said the Fresno city manager initiated a “full assessment of the hotel’s ability to ensure its guests’ safety. We are concerned that the hotel is no longer able to operate in a manner that provides its guests a safe environment.”

Because the fire safety system fell into disrepair at the hotel, Dyer revealed it was ensuring fire safety with stopgap measures, which included a 24-hour “fire watch.” That involved constantly checking the building for fires and logging inspections. Dyer said those were temporary measures to allow the hotel to remain open.

Fresno City Council member Miguel Arias said the downtown Fresno Radisson was first told it needed to install a new sprinkler system four years ago. The hotel said it would need time to do so with a new sprinkler system requiring an upgrade to the building’s entire electrical system.

Arias said Thursday night that the hotel owners have tried to sell the hotel in the past four years, but the deals fell through because of the cost of improvements required to bring the building up to safety code.

Arias said additional fines could be levied against owners once health and safety inspections are conducted, including for a filthy, green swimming pool that’s allegedly attracted mosquitoes for years.

“You can’t have a pool like that,” Arias said. “We’ve received many complaints about this over the years.

“The owners have made no attempts to make any investment to the property, even for basic safety standards,” said Arias, whose district includes the Radisson’s downtown neighborhood.

The hotel was built in 1969 and has operated under different names, including as a Holiday Inn and a Hilton.

“We are hopeful that the hotel ownership will make all necessary repairs to the fire alarm system,” Dyer said, “and any other building deficiencies to allow the hotel to become a beacon for our downtown once again.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 12:38 PM.