Changes to Fresno’s Tower District are officially in effect following a city council vote on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Nick Fenley
The new vendor area in Fresno’s Tower District was a ghost town Friday night while crowds of police officers stood watch outside nightclubs — the effects of a new plan to address safety concerns in the city’s nightlife district.
There’s now increased police presence in Fresno’s Tower District following safety concerns on the heels of a shooting outside club MIA last weekend. Nick Fenley
After the city council’s decision to implement a new “Vendor Market Zone” on Thursday, the changes are going into effect this weekend. While street vendors were formerly dotted along Olive Avenue, they are now largely confined to a parking lot at the southwest corner of Olive and Van Ness avenues.
The Bee visited the Tower District around 10 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday to get a look at the impact of the changes. The designated vendor zone is about 450 feet away from the intersection of Olive Avenue and Broadway Street — an area near several nightclubs that was previously a hotspot for late-night street vendors.
A look at the “Vendor Market Zone” that Fresno City Council approved, taken Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1:04 a.m. One vendor said that in four hours he had served the same number of customers he would have in just two hours at his old location. Nick Fenley
While the vendors were previously busy serving patrons as they exited nearby establishments, there was little foot traffic both times The Bee visited the new zone. There were a total of four vendors set up in the parking lot, as well as a fifth vendor set up across the street at the northwest corner of the intersection.
Around 1:15 a.m., a vendor told The Bee that he had seen very few customers that evening. Another corroborated, saying that in the four hours they had been set up in the market zone, he had served the same number of patrons he would have seen in just two hours in his former spot.
Two Fresno police officers turn onto Olive Avenue on department-issued motorcycles. Nick Fenley
While vendors grapple with the new status quo, swaths of officers stood outside establishments. Some wore uniforms, while others were in plain clothes along with vests identifying them as law enforcement.
The changes to Fresno’s Tower District come on the heels of public concerns surrounding safety in the city’s nightlife district. Two men were shot by a 16-year-old outside club MIA last weekend, and an off-duty ICE agent made headlines earlier this month after being arrested and charged with assaulting a Tower homeowner.
A crowd of officers gathers outside club MIA early Saturday in Fresno’s Tower District. Nick Fenley
Ahead of the city council’s vote, a community meeting was held, allowing residents to share their perspectives on the situation.
“This weekend, we will not be perfect on this. So, we will learn from this weekend, and we’ll learn from the next — but we’ll get it as good as we can,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said of the “Vendor Market Zone” on Wednesday night.
Vendors will be restricted to the vacant lot for approximately 90 days from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
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The Fresno Bee
Nick Fenley is a reporter covering education, lawsuits, breaking news and more for The Fresno Bee. He’s originally from the Imperial Valley and joined The Bee in 2025.