Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Fresno County Looking to Set Aside 3,000 Acres for Warehouses, Manufacturing
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 3 years ago on
August 30, 2021

Share

An All-Star group of business developers said Fresno County is losing out on millions of dollars because of a lack of industrial space. Thousands of jobs are also at stake.

In a preliminary step, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to initiate a study of creating an industrial park south of Fresno.

The 2,940-acre zone is roughly bounded by North, Fowler, American and Peach avenues. It is currently zoned for agricultural use.

“I’ve just been appalled over and over again at the number of jobs and businesses that our community has lost to other regions, other cities in California, due to a lack of plenty of planning and setting aside land for business.” Supervisor Steve Brandau said from the dais.

The Fresno Economic Development Corporation crunched the numbers, saying the proposed site could yield 19 million square feet of industrial/commercial space, the creation of 41,149 new jobs, and an annual property tax of $3.4 million. Property values could increase $2.1 billion, Fresno EDC said.

Brandau says the jobs would be in warehouses, light and heavy manufacturing and some commercial.

(GV Wire/Justine Cha)

Fresno EDC: Fresno County is Ideal

Lee Ann Eager, president and CEO of Fresno EDC, says the region has lost out on hundreds of businesses because of lack of space.  Her group has spent 12 years trying to find an ideal location.

“The prime place is right off of the 99 as it goes up and down the state of California. Businesses that are coming in from around the state, around the country, around the world are looking at that 99 corridor,” Eager told the supervisors.

Fresno County is still that number one interest for people around the country and bringing their business into California,” Eager said.

Eager mentioned industrial parks in Tejon Ranch near the Grapevine and the Wonderful industrial park in Shafter as parks to emulate.

Fresno County’s central location is perfect for e-commerce and manufacturing, Eager said.

Developers: We Need Space

Joining Eager were developers Nick Audino (Newmark Pearson Commercial), Leland Parnagian (Fowler Packing), Todd Cook (Cook Land Company) and Jeff Roberts (Assemi Group).

“Vacancy at this point is basically non-existent. It is as close to zero as it can possibly get,” Audino said. The actual number Audino reported was 1.6% vacancy.

Audino gave several examples of major industrial clients who have gone elsewhere because of lack of space including Amazon (opting for a 1.3 million square foot facility in Visalia); Ace Hardware (1 million square feet in Visalia); and UPS (500,000 square feet in Visalia).

“It’s really imperative that we keep and maintain ample levels of shovel-ready land and buildings for all types of industries, from manufacturing to logistics and e-commerce to R&D and other flex space,” Parnagian said. “The land proposed in this item today for this business industrial campus is ideally situated. It’s central to our region and to the state. And its proximity to an abundant workforce and transportation corridors really will make it competitive.”

Eager said it would take up to 16 years, in stages, to fill the 2,900 acres.

Current parks under construction are Fancher Creek near Fowler Avenue and Highway 180; North Pointe Business Park near Highway 99 between North and Central avenues; and in the Malaga area.

Advocacy Group Concerned

Fresno-based environmental advocacy group Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability asked the county not to move so fast.

“We ask the county to develop an industrial compatibility assessment that would look at where it’s best to place these (industrial parks),” Grecia Elenes of LCJA said. “How do we place industry in a way that won’t further exacerbate the current circumstances of these communities? How do we support economic development without placing the burden on certain peoples? How do we work with other Valley cities to raise the bar and not create a race to the bottom?”

The census tract of the proposed area has some of the worst air pollution in the state, based on the CalEnviroScreen 3.0 metric.

Brandau acknowledges there will be challenges.

Whenever you put in industrial, one of the main things you have to watch out for is the impacts to people,” Brandau told GV Wire. “You have to be really careful of making sure there’s a barrier or a separation between those those things and and the public.”

The proposed area does not have many residential neighborhoods nearby, Brandau said. That is a key distinction on why it may be easier to build in the county as opposed to within the city of Fresno.

DON'T MISS

Kash Patel Plans to Move Up to 1,500 Workers Out of Washington

DON'T MISS

Fired Employees Fear Beloved Yosemite National Park Will Lose Its Luster

DON'T MISS

US and Ukraine Nearing Rare Earths Deal That Would Tighten Relationship

DON'T MISS

Trump Fires Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Two Other Military Officers

DON'T MISS

Less Is More: 5 Ingredient Dinners Are Easier Than You Think

DON'T MISS

Trump-Putin Summit Preparations Are Underway, Russia Says

DON'T MISS

Warren Buffett Offers Trump Some Advice While Celebrating Berkshire’s Success

DON'T MISS

Hungarians Will Decide Whether Ukraine Can Join the European Union, Orbán Says

DON'T MISS

Wolfie the Handsome Pup Seeks Loving Home After Life in the Wild

DON'T MISS

National Park Service Restores Some Jobs of Those Fired, Will Hire 7,700 Seasonal Workers

UP NEXT

Wolfie the Handsome Pup Seeks Loving Home After Life in the Wild

UP NEXT

Federal Order to End DEI Policies Has Fresno Schools Scrambling for Answers

UP NEXT

Bullard Teacher Arrested for 10 Sex Felonies Involving Student

UP NEXT

Protester Hurls Tomato at Tulare Assemblywoman During High-Speed Rail Conference

UP NEXT

Rate the SE Fresno City Council Candidates Before You Vote

UP NEXT

Who Won Fresno GOP Leadership Fight? State Party Decides

UP NEXT

Fresno Police to Conduct Weekend DUI Checkpoint

UP NEXT

High Mortgage Rates, Prices Dampen January Home Sales

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Ryan Andrew Kitchener

UP NEXT

Experts: IRS Cuts May Benefit Rich Tax Dodgers, Hurt Revenue

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

Trump Fires Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Two Other Military Officers

4 hours ago

Less Is More: 5 Ingredient Dinners Are Easier Than You Think

4 hours ago

Trump-Putin Summit Preparations Are Underway, Russia Says

5 hours ago

Warren Buffett Offers Trump Some Advice While Celebrating Berkshire’s Success

5 hours ago

Hungarians Will Decide Whether Ukraine Can Join the European Union, Orbán Says

5 hours ago

Wolfie the Handsome Pup Seeks Loving Home After Life in the Wild

5 hours ago

National Park Service Restores Some Jobs of Those Fired, Will Hire 7,700 Seasonal Workers

6 hours ago

Is That Legal? A Guide to Trump’s Big Moves So Far.

7 hours ago

Hotels Are So Last Year – Why Everyone’s Sleeping in Castles, Caves and Cranes

8 hours ago

With Trump’s Prostration to Putin, Expect a More Dangerous World

8 hours ago

Kash Patel Plans to Move Up to 1,500 Workers Out of Washington

WASHINGTON — New FBI Director Kash Patel has told senior officials that he plans to relocate up to 1,000 employees from Washington to field ...

4 hours ago

4 hours ago

Kash Patel Plans to Move Up to 1,500 Workers Out of Washington

4 hours ago

Fired Employees Fear Beloved Yosemite National Park Will Lose Its Luster

4 hours ago

US and Ukraine Nearing Rare Earths Deal That Would Tighten Relationship

4 hours ago

Trump Fires Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Two Other Military Officers

4 hours ago

Less Is More: 5 Ingredient Dinners Are Easier Than You Think

5 hours ago

Trump-Putin Summit Preparations Are Underway, Russia Says

5 hours ago

Warren Buffett Offers Trump Some Advice While Celebrating Berkshire’s Success

5 hours ago

Hungarians Will Decide Whether Ukraine Can Join the European Union, Orbán Says

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

Search

Send this to a friend