Madera firm lands $5.3 million contract for Chinatown project in Fresno. Here’s the plan
The city of Fresno will spend about $5.3 million on new streetlights and tree planting in its historic Chinatown district — one piece of more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements in the neighborhood.
The Fresno City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to award a construction contract to Madera’s Avison Construction for the installation of streetlights on several streets in Chinatown: F Street between Fresno and Ventura streets, and Mariposa and Kern streets between E and G streets.
The contract also includes planting shade trees on a one-block stretch of F Street between Fresno and Mariposa streets; and reconstructing a one-block portion of China Alley between Kern and Inyo streets.
Repairs to sidewalks and curb ramps are also part of the plans, according to a staff report from Randall Morrison, the city’s capital projects director, and public works director Scott Mozier.
Engineering consultants originally expected the work covered in the contract to cost under $4.5 million, but the Avison bid came in 18% above the engineer’s estimate. According to information from the city, the higher-than-expected bids are the result of higher expenses for labor and materials.
“The presence of numerous utilities in China Alley increases the likelihood of unforeseen conflicts,” Morrison wrote in a bid evaluation report, “which might contribute to a marginally elevated costs.”
One piece of significant work
In addition to about $66 million that the city has received from the state under the Transformative Climate Communities program, the state this year awarded Fresno about $297 million over the next three years for infrastructure improvements in downtown Fresno and the neighboring Chinatown area.
The long-term goal is to help attract commercial and residential development in downtown and Chinatown in hopes of increasing the residential population to at least 10,000 people. Toward that end, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer has estimated that ultimately, more than $100 million of the state funds will be poured into Chinatown.
The investments piggyback on plans by the California High-Speed Rail Authority to plan and build a downtown Fresno passenger station — at the doorstep of Chinatown at Mariposa Street — for its future bullet-train route through Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley.
This story was originally published December 7, 2023 at 8:02 PM.
