Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Council Approves $4.5M Funding for Parkway Drive Makeovers, State Kicks in Millions More
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
October 29, 2020

Share

Motel 99, Parkside Inn, Day’s Inn, and Welcome Inn along Parkway Drive in southwest Fresno are part of a notorious stretch visible to drivers on Highway 99 coming into Fresno. It’s dilapidated condition is now on the cusp of a transformation.

In a recent document, the city said the area supports a ‘subculture of human trafficking, gangs, and drugs (that) draw adults and their children into a cycle of despair.’

Portrait of Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias

“The purchase and renovation and validation of multiple hotels in that corridor is going to change lives for generations to come. Thank you all and the work has just begun.”– Council President Miguel Arias 

Thursday morning, the Fresno City Council voted to approve $4.5 million of its federal CARES Act money to help with purchasing the hotels and converting them for homeless housing. The city is partnering with the Fresno Housing Authority on the project.

After the vote, Council President Miguel Arias said, “The purchase and renovation and validation of multiple hotels in that corridor is going to change lives for generations to come. Thank you all and the work has just begun.”

Mayor Lee Brand said, “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the quality of life in our community. We are addressing the challenges of COVID-19 and homelessness, significantly adding to our affordable housing inventory, and transforming one of our most disadvantaged neighborhoods, all at the same time.”

Project Homekey Funding

The Housing Authority received confirmation Thursday that the agency has received $16.5 million in additional funding under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Homekey program to support the plan. The money will go toward three of the motels along Parkway Drive and another property in Huron. These four properties total 251 units.

The Housing Authority received funding for the remaining Parkway Drive property in September.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the quality of life in our community.”Fresno Mayor Lee Brand

Homekey allocates a portion of the state’s CARES Act funding to local communities to acquire motels and use them as to house the homeless during the COVID pandemic. Later, the properties can be converted into permanent low-income housing. The Fresno Housing Authority has received over $24 million in Homekey funding.

Fresno Housing Authority

The Fresno Housing Authority will perform all the necessary paperwork, appraisals, environmental testing and work with contractors and trade services to assess the scope of repairs needed at each site. Their goal is to prepare the units for initial occupancy within 30-90 days.

“This is another incredible opportunity for our community,” said Tracewell Hanrahan, the Housing Authority’s deputy director in a news release. “We are excited to take this next step with our partners as we look forward to serving those at risk, but also to plan for the longer-term vision of transforming these underutilized properties into vibrant neighborhoods.”

The Housing Authority will also provide operational support at the properties for up to 5 years. Resident services could include case management and coordination with medical and mental health and substance abuse services. Assistance to prepare residents for permanent housing will also be offered, officials said.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

California Plan to Ban Most Plants Within 5 Feet of Homes for Wildfire Safety

1 Officer Killed, 1 Wounded and Another Man Dead in Los Angeles County Shooting

1 hour ago

RFK Jr. Says Autism ‘Destroys’ Families. Here’s What Those Families Want You to Know

1 hour ago

Trans Athlete in Political Storm Earns, and Shares, First Place in Event

CLOVIS, Calif. — The California athlete at the center of a searing political debate over transgender girls competing in girls’ sports went h...

20 minutes ago

AB Hernandez, center, flashes a sign as she shares the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland, left, and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. In a rules compromise, AB Hernandez shared first place in the high jump and triple jump in the California high school championship, and shared spots on the awards podium, too. (Adam Perez/The New York Times)
20 minutes ago

Trans Athlete in Political Storm Earns, and Shares, First Place in Event

U.S. President Donald Trump walks as he departs for Pennsylvania, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
35 minutes ago

Trump Budget Proposes Closing Northeast Heating Oil Reserve

A ticket reading "sold" hangs from an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in Pasadena, Md., Jan. 14, 2013. The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would not hear a major Second Amendment challenge to a Maryland law banning semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15. As is the court’s practice, its brief order gave no reasons. (Steve Ruark/The New York Times)
45 minutes ago

Supreme Court Turns Down Challenge to Ban on Semiautomatic Rifles

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna addresses the media in Castaic, Calif, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (AP File)
1 hour ago

1 Officer Killed, 1 Wounded and Another Man Dead in Los Angeles County Shooting

Eileen Lamb, from left, who was diagnosed with autism as an adult, watches over her children, Charlie Lamb and Jude, right, who also have autism, and daughter Billie, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP/Eric Gay)
1 hour ago

RFK Jr. Says Autism ‘Destroys’ Families. Here’s What Those Families Want You to Know

1 hour ago

California Plan to Ban Most Plants Within 5 Feet of Homes for Wildfire Safety

In this photo released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russian and Ukrainian delegations attend talks at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, June 2, 2025. (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense via AP)
1 hour ago

Ukraine and Russia End Their Latest Round of Direct Peace Talks in Istanbul

Law enforcement officers detain a suspect, after an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. X/@OpusObscuraX/via REUTERS
1 hour ago

Man Attacks Colorado Crowd With Firebombs, 8 People Injured

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend