Manchester Center, seen in this drone image on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, has announced a new revitalization plan that includes 600 units of housing.
CRAIG KOHLRUSS
ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
From a stalled Blackstone Avenue housing conversion to new safety rules in the Tower District and a plea deal in a Clovis child molestation case, The Fresno Bee covered developments shaping public safety, development and the courts this week.
Here is a quick look at the top stories of the day, with links to the full reporting for readers who want more detail.
Here are key takeawaysFresno’s ‘first mall’ was to become big Blackstone Ave. housing project. What happened? More than two years after Manchester Center’s owner Omninet Capital announced plans to convert the 71-year-old shopping center into 600 apartments called One Fresno at Manchester Center, there are no visible signs of construction on the Blackstone Avenue property. The city of Fresno could not provide an update, and permits do not appear to have been pulled. Council member Nelson Esparza said he isn’t sure where the project stands but pointed to other housing developments underway along the corridor.New rules for the Tower District after weekend shooting. ‘Status quo is unacceptable’ Fresno officials announced new public safety measures for the Tower District after a double shooting outside nightclub MIA early Sunday left two men and a woman injured and a 16-year-old from Fowler arrested on expected attempted murder charges. Mayor Jerry Dyer, Police Chief Mindy Casto and Councilmembers Annalisa Perea and Miguel Arias plan to move street vendors to a designated lot, add mobile lighting and cameras at four locations and post officers outside MIA, Vibes and Bobby Salazar’s Taqueria Thursday through Sunday nights. A community meeting is set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Tower Theatre.Clovis lawyer agrees to plea deal in child molestation case involving four victims Robert Quinlan Bergstrom, 84, pleaded no contest Wednesday to four counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, accepting a 12-year prison term less than two hours after his 18-year-old granddaughter testified about years of abuse that began when she was 4 or 5. Originally charged with eight counts and facing 80 years to life, Bergstrom will also have to register as a sex offender. Judge Alvin Harrell is set to sentence him Dec. 11.
Original stories by Thaddeus Miller, Joshua Tehee and Nick Fenley
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published October 24, 2026 at 3:47 PM.