Ben Hensley<\/a><\/p>\nWhen Fresno last renamed Kings Canyon Boulevard, four businesses applied for reimbursement. Only one received an award \u2014 $77.<\/p>\n
Now, with the city preparing to restore the roadway\u2019s original name, some council members are asking whether Fresno can do better by the businesses navigating the change for the second time in two years.<\/p>\n
The stretch of roadway \u2014 which also includes spans of Ventura and California avenues \u2014 spent two years named after labor leader Cesar Chavez before the city voted unanimously to reverse the designation amid controversy surrounding allegations about Chavez. The renaming will again require businesses along the corridor to update addresses, marketing materials and paperwork, most of which they had already changed in 2023.<\/p>\n
District 6 Councilmember Nick Richardson, who wasn\u2019t on the council during the original name change, questioned whether the low participation in the previous reimbursement program reflected a lack of need \u2014 or a lack of access.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo assume that they\u2019re going to have the wherewithal and all the information necessary to be able to apply to the city to get reimbursed for whatever the cost is to change, I think it\u2019s unrealistic,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n
District 5 Councilmember Brandon Vang, who also wasn\u2019t on the council in 2023, agreed \u2014 and is planning a town hall to hear directly from businesses. He noted that some of his own relatives run businesses along the corridor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t want to have the name changed because obviously it impacted their bottom line, even if it\u2019s just a few hundred or a few thousand dollars,\u201d Vang said. \u201cAnd now we\u2019re asking them to do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
That reality is playing out in real terms. Alexis Leon, manager of Stereo & DJ Outlet and Mari\u2019s Jewelers near Kings Canyon and Chestnut Avenue, said replacing paper invoices and business cards could cost around $2,000. She added that most customers never stopped calling it Kings Canyon even during the two-year renaming.<\/p>\n
Leon said her businesses did not take advantage of the city\u2019s reimbursement offer after the initial name change, but she would pursue any assistance available this time.<\/p>\n
Any financial assistance could be complicated by the city\u2019s fiscal situation. Vang noted that Fresno is heading into its second consecutive year without a budget surplus, and that discussions with the mayor about upcoming budget allocations will determine what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Fresno wants to be seen as a business-friendly city,\u201d Vang said, \u201cwe should do what we can at the very least \u2014 even if it\u2019s just a few dollars \u2014 to eliminate the cost, especially to the mom-and-pop businesses along this corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n
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