FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Located at the end of Fulton Street across from the Tioga Sequoia Beer Garden and next to Chukchansi Park, a city-owned parking lot is one step closer to becoming a vibrant high-rise in Downtown Fresno.<\/p>\n
“It’s the kind of development that any downtown would love to see. With housing upstairs and other kinds of things happening on the ground floor,” says Elliott Balch, Downtown Fresno Partnership.<\/p>\n
“The Park at South Stadium Apartments” aims to breathe new life into the brewery district.<\/p>\n
It will stand eight stories high with 160 units of housing, some will rent at market price and 40% will be offered at more affordable rates. It will also include retail and community space.<\/p>\n
“We definitely need housing. The demand is really strong. I’m excited to see a high-rise right across from us. The mural district has come so long in 25 years with housing, but there really hasn’t been much housing on this side, so I feel like it’s a really good,” says Reza Assemi, Developer.<\/p>\n
Assemi is the developer behind Sun Stereo and its new Little Sister Garage, a food hub in the works across the street. He says this project is another piece of the puzzle of revitalizing the area.<\/p>\n
“Every building that gets developed is one less building sitting, and a lot of times those are the biggest obstacles to loosen up some of those buildings,” says Assemi.<\/p>\n
The project has faced several delays. It was first approved under different developers, then canceled by the city in 2022. But last week, new plans, with conditions from city leaders, received unanimous approval by the city council.<\/p>\n
Mayor Jerry Dyer says the city is already laying the groundwork to make projects like this possible.<\/p>\n
“We knew we needed to get the infrastructure money. $250 million plus another $43 million that would allow us to put in the water mains, parking garages, all of those curb sidewalks, gutters that will allow us now to be able to do the housing,” says Mayor Dyer.<\/p>\n
Locals say the key is the location, connecting the brewery district to Fulton Mall for seamless travel and entertainment.<\/p>\n
“This is an example of a missing development, so I think it’s going to help connect different activity centers that we have and make it feel very continuous,” says Balch.<\/p>\n
There is still a while until this plan becomes a reality.<\/p>\n
Developers have until February of 2026 to get their finances in place, but if they don’t, the city will take the land back.<\/p>\n
If the developers are able to secure the funding, the project will kick into high gear.<\/p>\n
If all goes as planned, the estimated completion time is April of 2028.<\/p>\n
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