Fulton Mall
Submitted by jcali25 on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 15:10.
The question I hear often when it comes to downtown Fresno, is where is Fulton Mall? Everybody from here knows it’s somewhere downtown, but where? I recently have been spending a significant amount of time in the downtown area and I now realize the potential it has. I truly believe residents of Fresno would go to and shop at the Fulton Mall if it was open to vehicels.
I love looking at old photographs of downtown Fresno and the Fulton Mall. It shows me how great of a place it used to be for families and shoppers. I hear all of the older residents of Fresno talk about how great the Mall was and how in highschool they used to love coming downtown to the Fulton Mall and “Drag the Main.” There has not been one person that I have talked to recently that doesn’t want the Mall to open up to traffic.
I have personally looked at the dimensions of the mall and know it could easily allow for one lane each for vehicle traffic. Even by doing this, it would allow plenty of room on each side for pedistrians to walk freely and shop. With the downtown seeing significant growth in the last few years, I believe its time to take advantage of this buzz and open up the Mall to traffic. Its time for Fresno to take back the Mall to its glory days and put it back on the map.
Fulton St. / Fulton Mall is a dead end street opening it to cars is foolish, since the street dead ends at Highway 41. What should be done it the Mall should be extended to Highway 41, with a big anchor at the end where Venture St. Crossed Fulton... I'd like to see a Hard Rock Cafe Fresno there with a grand sign that can be seen from both Highway 41 and 99.
What downtown needs is more Free Parking, and more entertainment... it's good to see Milano doing it's job, but there needs a to be a place like the 'Cadillac club', where mid level bands can play at.
It's also good to know that bands are starting to use the Crest theater for shows.
I don't see the need to re-open the Fulton Mall to cars.
The problem is a lack of free parking, not the proximity of car to store. Funds to re-open mall could be better used in restoring facades, creating more green space, or a light-rail (but not a water feature).
While the Fulton Mall became unpopular in the 80's (in favor of indoor malls), pedestrian malls are becoming used again. Fashion Fair duplicated the Fulton Mall (without a single car lane), minus the art and architecture.
And you discuss the "potential" of the Mall. Potential, as in more chain-stores that engulf the many malls of Fresno? The Fulton Mall has more culture than any mall in the whole Central Valley. You should go there some time and enjoy what it has to offer; culture, music, food and a bunch of people who didn't flock north when it became popular.
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