Downtown Fresno needs bold vision — and certainly more housing — but not this eyesore
Downtown Fresno cannot roar back to life — by that I mean support a vibrant retail, dining and nightlife scene — without more people living there.
Less than 1% of Fresno’s estimated 545,000 residents live inside the 1.5-square mile triangle contained by Highway 99, Highway 41 and Divisadero Street. Last I inquired, the exact number was 3,797.
Despite rents and occupancy rates not far below those in north Fresno, downtown’s housing stock has essentially remained flat since Fulton Street’s much-celebrated reopening in 2017.
Which is why a proposed development for a key block of downtown real estate that has been kicking around City Hall for two years should be reason for optimism.
That is, until you take a closer look at the conceptual plans and behind-the-scenes maneuverings.
Then the whole thing starts to look like a turkey — and not the kind served on Thanksgiving.
In December 2018, the city entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Tutelian & Co. to redevelop nearly an entire block currently occupied by CVS Pharmacy, two parking lots and a frontage road along Tuolumne Street.
Initial site plans for what’s being called Fulton Square were released in February and again in July after undergoing slight modifications. The mixed-use development calls for 160 residential units spread over three five-story buildings and 30,000-square feet of retail space, most of it devoted to a new CVS store and neighborhood market.
Sounds great, right? Just the type of investment that’s been lacking in Fresno’s core? Well, yes and no.
The thinking is spot-on. Downtown needs new, attractive housing to give all those office workers a reason not to hit the freeways at 5 p.m., and putting residential above retail is a concept that has worked in other cities.
So, too, is the location. Nearly all of the 627 new units built downtown from 2007-16 are located north of Stanislaus Street. Fulton Square, combined with ongoing renovations at nearby Hotel Fresno, would bring hundreds more residents closer to existing restaurants as well as the burgeoning Brewery District.
Lastly, the developer has an established track record. Tutelian & Co. built the Park Place and Villagio shopping centers in north Fresno, the office building at 2440 Tulare Ave. that houses the Social Security Administration and is based at the refurbished 1401 Grand building located across the street from the proposed project.
Fresno Stamp Mural blocked
Despite all the positives and potential benefits, why am I waving the yellow caution flag?
Well, for a couple of reasons. The first is design. When I look at artist renderings of Fulton Square, I don’t see much attention paid to livability. What I see most of all is a massive, five-story parking lot at the project’s core. In fact, it looks like parking was the first priority and housing secondary.
Does downtown Fresno really need another hulking concrete edifice devoted to the almighty automobile? Can’t some, or all, of those 510 (!) parking stalls be built underground? It seems to work at Courthouse Park.
There’s more: The five-story parking garage would almost completely obscure the Fresno Stamp Mural on the side of the building at 1315 Van Ness. Painted by local muralist FranCisco Vargas months before his death in 2015, the 125-foot wide and 32-foot tall postage stamp has been featured in numerous social media posts, advertising campaigns and even music videos.
Block a downtown landmark with a parking garage? I thought Fresno stopped doing stupid things like that.
In response to complaints about the Fresno Stamp Mural, the latest architectural renderings added a viewing platform complete with a group of friends posing for a selfie in front of the giant “F.”
Which in this instance, would stand for “Fail.”
Put people over cars
Fresno should not allow so much of the streetscape on Fulton and Van Ness to be hogged by a hulking parking garage. People — not cars — must be the No. 1 consideration of any downtown development.
Beyond aesthetic concerns, there are some real questions about whether Fulton Square (which would reportedly cost $57 million) will ever come to fruition.
Two years ago, Mayor Lee Brand took the unusual step of granting a developer exclusive negotiating rights for a property they don’t own. (CVS and the city are both landowners in the project’s footprint.)
Since then, what was originally a 270-day period has been extended three times. During Thursday’s meeting, the City Council by a 4-3 vote approved another 60-day extension until Feb. 6, 2021. Cliff Tutelian and the city administration sought 90.
In remarks to the council, Tutelian indicated he has made substantial progress in securing financing for the project as well as obtaining a letter of intent from CVS. He made similar claims four months ago in a letter to Aldi Dodds, Fresno’s deputy city manager.
Make no mistake, downtown Fresno is ripe for a visionary project like Fulton Square. This particular vision, however, is probably best left to die on the vine.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
