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Good News for Fulton as Downtown Street Gets Ready to Party
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand delivered good news Friday about Fulton’s $20 million makeover —a day before the Fulton Street Party celebrating its 2017 reopening.
According to city records, businesses along the downtown street grossed $43.6 million in revenue for fiscal year 2019. That compares to $2.9 million in 2015, which was the last fiscal year before the Fulton project began.
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“I’m pleased that our investment in Fulton Street is showing strong financial returns and we’re doing everything we can to encourage growth and provide stability.” — Mayor Lee Brand
Brand: ‘Strong Financial Returns’ on Project
“During the celebration for the reopening of Fresno Street, I said it was a bold new beginning for the heart of our downtown and the numbers are proving that in a remarkable way,” Brand said in a news release. “I’m pleased that our investment in Fulton Street is showing strong financial returns and we’re doing everything we can to encourage growth and provide stability. This is exciting news.”
City Hall spokesperson Mark Standriff told GV Wire that the Fulton Street total for fiscal year 2019 doesn’t include the gross revenue for Tutor Perini, which is highly involved in the California high-speed rail project.
Though the Fresno branch of the massive construction and design firm occupies quarters at 1421 Fulton, its $360 million in gross revenue there “was obviously an outlier, so we left it out,” Standriff said.
More Walkers and Cyclists
More pedestrians and cyclists are using Fulton.
An average of 3,505 walkers/bikers a day were on the street during fiscal year 2019. The average in 2015 — when Fulton was a pedestrian mall closed to vehicle traffic — was 2,614.
“As someone who has lived and breathed this project since its inception, I’m thrilled to see that there’s proof positive that we’re bringing back businesses and people to the heart of our downtown,” said Fresno City Manager Wilma Quan.
Watch: Downtown Fresno Ale Trail
Fulton Street Party 2019
Thousands of Fresno area residents will celebrate Fulton’s reopening with a street party Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. at Inyo and Fulton. Some of the activities include:
• Taste of Fresno
• Fulton Street pop-up shops
• Mariposa outdoor bar
• Downtown Ale Trail beer tasting
• Wine tasting
• Live music
• Local craft marketplace
• Fulton Street Food Truck Fest
About the Fulton Street Food Truck Fest
Mike Osegueda, the organizer of the Fulton Street Food Truck Fest, says that there will be more food trucks than at either the Taco Truck Throwdown or the FresYes Fest.
“We’re talking 35 of the best food trucks in the Central Valley, all descending on downtown,” Osegueda says. “It’s happening at and around Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. … This is a first-time event, but one that we’re hoping turns into another of Fresno’s great annual gatherings.”
