Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
'Not Above Accountability' — Inspections Target Abandoned City-Owned Buildings
gvw_david_taub
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 3 years ago on
July 20, 2021

Share

Enforcement of the Fresno vacant building ordinance started with an inward look.

The Gottschalks building downtown, vacant for the better part of 35 years and owned by the city, was one of the first buildings inspected. The ordinance, approved by the city council last month, went into effect on Saturday.

“The city of Fresno is not immune to also having responsibility and being a landlord and owner of property that has not been secured and kept safe for the purpose of not becoming a fire hazard,” City Councilman Miguel Arias said. “The city of Fresno is not above accountability.”

City inspectors examine the vacant Gottschalks building (GV Wire/David Taub)

Even City is Subject to Fines

Arias led the media on a tour of the vacant building, as the inspectors took pictures and notes.

There was no power, no working sprinkler system, no secure entrances into the site. Most of those problems will need to be fixed for the city to be compliant with its own ordinance.

Owners who do not make improvements are subject to fines. Including the city itself.

Portions of the exterior plywood boarding up windows had large holes in them. Arias said that happened just this past weekend. If it weren’t for the iron bars, people could have broken in, creating more of a fire hazard. Firefighters are expecting to exceed the 6,000 fires extinguished last year.

Arias cited the example of warehouses on H and Mono streets that recently burned.

“We want to make sure we get to buildings before the criminal element moves in and they get used for temporary housing and eventually set on fire,” Arias said.

The Gottschalks building is one of 20 vacant sites in downtown Fresno, the Tower District and Chinatown where the city will conduct its first set of inspections.

A look into the one-time flagship Gottschalks department store in downtown Fresno (GV Wire/David Taub)

City Remains Building Owner

Arias estimates the city has owned the Gottschalks building for 20 years. Plans to sell to developers have fallen through for various reasons.

“It’s a large building that requires significant investment. And it’s connected to a parking garage that also requires investment,” Arias said. The city is spending $2 million to repair the adjacent structure known as the Spiral Garage.

Club One Casino expressed interest in purchasing the building and adjacent parking structure in recent years. But, owner Kyle Kirkland said the price tag for renovating was too high.

“It’s a very antiquated parking structure. We had offered to buy from the city and it looked like we were going to have to put somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million that we had to put into it. The project just became sort of bigger than I think we intended. Initially, our initial budgets were $13 to 15 million for that. And, you know, now it’s got 20 million dollars. And at that point, I think we just said, listen, there’s probably a better use of time and energy,” Kirkland said.

Kirkland opted instead to move his downtown card room to an empty commercial buildings at Granite Park in central Fresno.

A look at the vacant Gottschalks department store in downtown Fresno. (GV Wire/David Taub)

 

DON'T MISS

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Tackles Animal Overpopulation with New Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program

DON'T MISS

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

DON'T MISS

House Speaker Mike Johnson Headed to Fresno on April 4

DON'T MISS

Fresno Mayor Dyer Is the Man in Japan

DON'T MISS

Trump Media Group CEO Nunes Headlines Fresno GOP Event

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Nab Suspect in March 14 Slaying on Bulldog Lane

DON'T MISS

Beautify Fresno’s Great American Cleanup Set for April 20

DON'T MISS

Mad Duck Sets Mid-April Opening for Big Brewpub at Copper River

DON'T MISS

While Valley Children’s Executives Earn Millions, Community Benefits Lag

No data was found
David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

2 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

2 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

2 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

2 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

3 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

3 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

4 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

6 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

7 hours ago

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

7 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth’s two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning for the San Diego Padres, who beat the San Francis...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

1 hour ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

2 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

2 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

2 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

2 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

2 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

3 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend