Downtown Fresno
Submitted by Brett Taylor on Wed, 11/07/2007 - 13:06.
Last night I saw on television that the city council rejected the mayor’s idea of a sixty million dollar river that would go through down town Fresno. I can not express how happy I am to find that out. That would have been such a waist of time and money. I can not think of anyone who agreed with this project, or who would have benefited from it. Sixty million dollars is a ton of money and could be used in so many different ways to renovate and restore down town Fresno. I am a twenty-six years old college student, and I believe that people my age are the target market the city leaders are aiming to attract to down town Fresno. I love the baseball stadium that Fresno has brought in to the city. This stadium is absolutely amazing, and Fresno spent a lot of money building it right. Now that the stadium is there we need to build more attractions around it. However there are some things I would require before I decided to visit down town area.
First, I would like to see more night entertainment places. Down town is missing good restaurants, it needs twenty or more good and appealing restaurants. These restaurants should for the most part be locally owned, with a couple of franchises thrown in. There should be a wide variety of food’s type representing all of Fresno’s cultural backgrounds, such as Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Armenian, Indian, and of course the typical American food. After dinning hours most of these restaurants should turn into bars where people can socialize and have a good time.
Second, the paid parking needs to disappear after regular business hours. It is very aggravating to have to worry about your parking meter running out of money in the middle of dinner or while hanging out with friends in a bar. I would rather choose a place where I can park my car and do not have to worry about my parking meter. The same applies for the parking garages; they should be free after regular business hours. The other reason why I think parking should be free in the down town area after business hours is because we live in one of the poorest areas in the state. Most people are inclined to go where parking is free to save money. Fresno has not reached the financial position of a big city like San Francisco or Los Angeles, therefore parking should be free.
Third, if Fresno attracts more people to downtown area by placing cool restaurants and bars, then there should also be more shopping areas. For example fine and modern shops would attract even more people and would also encourage other entrepreneurs to put new shopping centers as well.
Last but not least, Fresno downtown needs more security! I have been down town many times in the last couple of months and I can honestly admit that I have never felt unsafe. Never the less the myth still exists that down town is dangerous. This could be changed by adding more police, security, lighting, and so forth.
I applaud the entrepreneurs that have taken the risks to build down town. I believe that they will receive the rewards they are searching for. I also am excited about the revitalization of down town Fresno and hope to be soon enjoying the new renovated down town Fresno.
Rod I dont think the free parking is that big of an issue.
It's the issue of having to park 3 or 4 blocks away from where you want to go and the City trying to guage every dollar they can out of people. Instead of one set fee they charge diffrent fees for diffrent events. also the money is used for other things besides improving parking. Thats why the metermaids roam all day marking tires with chalk and writting tickets. Also if they see an empty pasrking spot with time on the meter they have a key to turn the meter to 0. I wonder if they do it to spaces with cars parked in them too. Is there a ticket quota each metermaid must meet as part of their job performance? Another problem is the people mainly (City and County Employees)that use a handicapped placard to park for free all day at a meter. They are abusing the priviledge.
Downtown would feel safer if the City put up no soliciting or harassing people signs. Add more police but make them be visible not all kicking back in one area. Make the parking garages off limits to anyone that does not have a ticket showing they parked in it. I dont care if a garage is publuic property street vagrants with shopping carts have no business inside them.
The City made a serious error when it built the Stadium. Is should have built some parking garages beside the stadium on H street. This way people would have felt safer. The front part of the first two floors could have been shop space for businesses or clubs with a walkway across the street into the stadium. Also Kern St at H should have been closed off to the railroad track. This way the druggies and the street vagrants would have had to use Ventura or Tulare and could not come across the tracks to bug businesses and custormers using the parking lots. They'd have had to use the masin streets where police could see them better.
Also Downtown would be safer if the City would crack down on the slumlords. Hit the vacant nasty old houses and eliminate them. Hit the slumlord apartments that allow drugs and druggies to operate. Shut them down. Tear them down. Demand apartments get a special permit and post a bond. In order to operate Code Enforcement must check them every other year and on alternate years Fire Marshall must check them. Keep them up or be shut down.
Make them pay for a bond so that if the Police keep coming out because of their tenants they(the slumlord) pay Police costs.
If the City put the word out crime and criminals won't be tolerated then they will move on.
As for the 20 somethings there is nothing Downtown for them to go to. Plus as you expressed they don't have the money needed to support businesses downtown. Most people unless looking for swapmeet louie and cheap knock offs wont shop at swap malls. Also how is it the swap malls pass Code Inforcement?
They are run down and torn up buildings. You want people Downtown the third world trash and junk has to go.
One would hope
Rob DeFrees
I would hope that Brett is getting a good education.
That he has learned that hanging about in bars is OK, as long as one does not 'drink and drive'. I am clueless why folks bang on about FREE PARKING. Most establishments in other cities offer some sore of FREE parking to patrons of the place they patronize. Fresno could do the same. Why do folks here always talk about not going anyplace that does not give FREE parking.
As to his age group being the 'target' group aimed at for Downtown, that is pure rubbish. One needs to attract a mixture of ages, and not just starving college students. Hardly think they are able to support fine dining, or high end department stores or speciality shops.
As to the myth of Downtown being unsafe. If enough folks keep repeating it, the 'urban legend' of Downtown being unsafe will never die.
That decision of mayor to make such an investment is without any base and without any benefits for the city. It's better that wasn't approved... I think it was normal to be voted before by the people of Fresno. He shouldn't have such a power of decision with the public moneys.
LISTEN TO US!
Think of it this way what attracts people more resturants or buildings some might answer otherwise, but most would say resturants and if there is resturants by then there must be shops and hotels. See in Dontown yeah you have all the business and gov't. Buildings, but is that it unfotunatly for our Downtown that is the case and a solution is homes, condos, hotels, apartments, townhouses whatever a place to live. If more of these projects flourished who knows what we'll have say a Macy's, Nordstrom, fancy lane with those expensive stores and luxury prada, and even more entertainment including bars, clubs or anything to have a good time. Just stop thinking and proceed everyone is giving you tips & hints read them and agree gor a change and look something positive might happen for a change.
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