Derelict downtown Fresno hotel flunks city inspection, has no timeline for reopening

A month after being shut down by the city over fire safety violations, some progress is being made to bring the former Radisson hotel in downtown Fresno back into compliance.

In late December the hotel was deemed “unsafe to occupy” and given 30 days to obtain development permits and begin needed repairs. The city in a statement to The Bee on Monday said hotel operators continued “to make a good faith effort to bring the system into compliance,” but there was “no change in the operating status.”

The city did conduct a fire test inspection on some of the hotel’s safety equipment earlier this month, said Fresno City Council member Miguel Arias, whose district includes downtown.

The hotel did not pass that test.

At the same time, the city’s code enforcement team did a promised inspection of the hotel for other health and safety concerns — things like leaking roofs, open holes and rooms with pest infestations. A checklist was created of additional repairs that will need to be made, along with the fire inspection requirements, Arias said.

The city originally gave the hotel until April 30 to complete the repairs.

Problems at Radisson in downtown Fresno

As noted by customers, the hotel — on Van Ness Avenue next to what was once Club One Casino — had been in a state of disrepair for several years. The owners had tried but could not sell the property, which had been operating under a 24-hour “fire watch,” which involved routinely checking the building for fires and logging inspections.

Arias said the hotel now has to meet new-construction standards, which means in some cases, an upgrade of its existing equipment. This can take time and may be slowed by current supply chain issue.

But the process has started, Arias said, and the city is no longer enabling this piece of downtown real estate to be rundown.

“The hotel didn’t fall into disrepair overnight,” Arias said.

“I don’t believe that the repairs will be done overnight.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2023 at 8:05 AM.