Fresno has once-in-a-lifetime chance to redevelop downtown. City leaders must get it right
Every great city needs a vibrant downtown.
That’s why over the final months of the year The Bee is paying special attention to downtown Fresno redevelopment and the $294 million investment the state is making in infrastructure and housing.
The idea is that such a big investment will attract private dollars to pay for new housing projects and businesses, perhaps renovations of empty buildings or fresh investments in restaurants or microbreweries. Some of that already has been happening on its own, but the Holy Grail might be a major retail outlet or a new entertainment or sports venue.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and his team secured a $250 million state appropriation over three years to rebuild downtown infrastructure – think new pipes and other updated works that make modern renovations possible. There’s also a $44 million grant earmarked for housing, and a separate California High Speed Rail plan with its own budget also promises to spark interest from private developers.
In his pitch, the mayor points out that downtown currently has 3,000 residents and that he’d like to increase it to 10,000 over 5-7 years. He also says developers tell him there’s a six-month waiting list for the housing. Demand is red hot, he says, and every great downtown needs new residents.
We’ve already started reporting and writing the stories, including a recent piece about the Fresno County Historical Society’s plans to open a history museum in a 100-year-old downtown building and another about a preservation fight over demolition of the Dale Bros Coffee sign that sits atop a warehouse at H and Tuolumne streets. We’ll be ramping up our exclusive coverage over the rest of the year, delivering collections of stories from our expert Bee reporters about how the millions will be spent, new and existing businesses, and the future of Chinatown, among other downtown topics.
As The Bee covers this unfolding story about Fresno redevelopment, it’s important that we track how the many millions in public money are being spent and whether in this richly diverse county any communities are marginalized or left out as downtown gets boosted.
For more than 100 years, The Bee has been a watchdog over how the government spends your money. It’s all part of our mission to highlight the great things about Fresno while also shining a light on persistent problems, such as a documented rise in hate crimes in the region or the cycle of low-paying jobs and lack of educational opportunity that keeps so many families trapped in generational poverty.
We chose this downtown development topic for special attention because you told us you wanted to know more. In late August, we published a story with the headline, ‘Fresno is a hot market.’ $250 million investment sparks developer interest across the US. Reader interest was high, and we’ll be looking for more details about who might want to bring their development dollars to Fresno.
Over the decades, downtown revitalization efforts have always represented hope for brighter futures. Perhaps the biggest question for Fresno now is who can or will step up from our own ranks to help parlay the state’s investment into a true revitalization with major private support.
In my first three months living and working in Fresno, I’ve noticed a deep sense of pride in the area’s diversity and natural beauty. I’ve also sensed a chip-on-the-shoulder, underdog mentality.
I saw that same attitude in Detroit, where I was raised and later worked as a newspaper editor. The two cities share many of the same generational challenges of crime and poverty, but they also possess a strong sense of self-determination and fight.
Unlike in Detroit, however, Fresno doesn’t seem to have wealthy foundations or billionaires looking to redevelop downtown or buy its empty buildings. Not yet, anyway.
For our part, The Bee will always work hard to bring you essential news and information so you can better understand this topic and so many others important to our lives.
