A rare appearance by a sitting member of the California State Legislature prompted Fresno city officials to break their silence about the drawn-out process to take control of Granite Park.
The City of Fresno won possession of the park from Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, led by Asm. Esmeralda Soria’s (D-Fresno) husband Terance Frazier, in a court ruling more than a week ago.
War of words at the Spaceship: During Thursday’s Fresno City Council meeting, Frazier, Soria, and supporters called on Fresno lawmakers to hold off on completing eviction and leaving day-to-day operations of the park in the hands of the nonprofit.
Soria, speaking during the meeting’s public comment period, criticized the city’s approach to Frazier and his nonprofit.
“What is the end goal here? Why the obsession by some with Granite Park?” Soria said during the meeting. “After years of litigation, enormous public expense and countless hours spent fighting a nonprofit, what has Fresno gained even after the eviction? The legal disputes continue. There’s an appeal pending, and initial lawsuits remain unresolved. The fight is not over.”
The other side: Fresno’s City Manager, Georgeanne White, broke her silence on the on-going fight over control of the sports complex, arguing that Soria had a chief role in the city’s uneven approach to managing the park.
“When you have a sitting elected official that is trying to involve herself in her husband’s business and trying to put pressure on a city to do something other than what’s in the best interests of the city, I think that shows us why there has been such hesitation on the part of the city to do something about Granite Park for so long,” White told Nexstar.
“I think it just shows that she’s been attempting to use her influence to have the city do something different than what we ultimately decided to do,” White said.
White said Frazier’s foundation has breached its lease with the city for multiple reasons in recent years. In 2022, the city raised issues over a lack of liability insurance, and in 2024, officials claimed Frazier owed more than $1 million in unpaid rent and fees. The city then sought to terminate its lease with the foundation.
In May, a judge sided with the city and ruled it could terminate the lease.
A week ago, a follow-up decision that rejected a stay of the eviction proceedings allowed Fresno to take immediate possession of Granite Park. White said baseball and other activities scheduled at the park will continue.
The big picture: Frazier’s Central Valley Community Sports Foundation has appealed the May ruling. A ruling in favor of the nonprofit in that appeal could lead to the organization to reclaim possession of the park.