Brighter future ahead for abandoned (and perhaps haunted) Fresno eyesore | Opinion
To see the potential of southeast Fresno’s most notorious eyesore, one must possess an optimistic set of eyes.
Optimistic enough to look beyond the abandoned hospital towers that stand as woebegone centerpieces of the former University Medical Center campus on Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Cedar Avenue, vacant for nearly 20 years.
Enough to see past the faded paint, broken windows and razor wire fencing. To disregard security patrols that prevent homeless from taking up residence – not with 100% success – as well as the pervading feeling of creepiness that attracts ghost-hunters in search of poltergeists and YouTube views.
It’s not simply a matter of being blind to urban blight. It’s about having an alternative vision and the resources to see it through.
“The potential is incredible,” said Sevak Khatchadourian, a Beverly Hills-based developer who purchased the old UMC campus from Fresno County for $5.3 million. Escrow on the 30-acre property closed Feb. 21, 16 months after Khatchadourian’s investment group was the lone bidder at auction.
“It is a beautiful setting, and the demographics are amazing if you look at the traffic count. It’s in the heart of the city and a forgotten place.”
Khatchadourian’s primary plan for the former UMC campus is housing, likely a mix of senior housing, affordable housing and market-rate housing. He said the main hospital, the two six-story towers connected by a four-story wing, has room for up to 300 units. There are also “six or seven large buildings“ (i.e. 30,000 square feet and up) that will be converted to housing, in addition to a parking lot along Cesar Chavez where more apartments could be erected.
“I think it is one of the largest properties in the city that isn’t really occupied,” Khatchadourian said. “Thirty acres is not a joke. Thirty acres is a small city by itself.”
The “small city” will also contain a medical facility. United Health Centers purchased one of the buildings, a single-story structure at 515 S. Cedar Avenue, with the intention of providing medical, dental and optometry services at the site, community resources officer David Phillips said.
The county’s presence at the old UMC campus, where some Department of Behavioral Health and Department of Social Services staff have offices, will remain for two years through a leaseback agreement, according to Khatchadourian.
Among those keenly interested in these developments is Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez, who lives within eyesight of the abandoned hospital.
The former Fresno city councilman for District 5 estimated he has phoned authorities “at least 15 times” over the years to report repeated break-ins and fires inside the two main towers.
Chavez called the property “not just an eyesore but a money pit,” noting the county spent more than $450,000 per year to provide 24/7 security that still didn’t prevent copper wire thieves from causing $700,000 worth of flooding and electrical damage that was subtracted from the sales price.
“I see it every day, and as a resident of the neighborhood I can tell you I want a change of scenery,” Chavez said.
A haunted hospital?
Besides homeless and vandals, the old hospital also attracts ghost-hunters who believe the place is haunted. Several YouTube videos are devoted to the subject, none of which are especially convincing.
(After watching a few I spent a couple hours Tuesday evening on site hoping a ghost would turn up and agree to be interviewed. Alas, none did.)
“That building has kind of taken on a myth of its own after it was abandoned,” said Chavez, laughing.
Khatchadourian said architects and engineers are currently developing a master plan for the 30-acre campus, which will be presented to the city “within the next couple months.” The developer has also met with members of the Jackson Neighborhood Association to solicit their input.
“It’s going to be nice looking and fit in well with the neighborhood,” he assured.
Khatchadourian’s track record in Fresno is highlighted by the Pacific Southwest Building on Fulton Street, which has been renovated and is fully occupied. His company also owns the Helm Building (kitty corner from the Pacific Southwest Building) as well as the former Radisson Hotel on Van Ness Avenue.
Those two projects remain ongoing. Khatchadourian said he has obtained construction permits to convert the Helm Building into 99 small apartments, which should begin later this year. Meanwhile, the former Radisson is being designed to meet the standards of two hotel chains.
Khatchadourian is confident the old UMC, Helm Building and hotel can be constructed simultaneously – though the former hospital campus will require the most TLC due to its size and the number of buildings involved.
“Southeast Fresno has a lot of potential,” he said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening.”
All it takes is money, plus a special set of eyes.
