In June, Fresno City Councilmembers enacted an ordinance to clean up blighted buildings in Tower District, with an aim — if successful — to expand the rule citywide.

The new legislation implements hefty fines for owners of dilapidated properties that stay vacant longer than 120 days. It also implements fines for owners who don’t keep up their property, fining them up to $10,000 for violations such as boarded-up windows.

Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea, who authored the ordinance, said vacancies in Tower District are denser than in other areas. It’s created a visual blight, she told GV Wire.

“If you take the broken-window theory, for example — the broken window theory basically says that visual chaos will create chaos to that area,” Perea said. “What we’ve seen is that sure enough, a lot of these vacant, blighted buildings are attracting other nuisances to that specific area. We’re seeing an increase in homeless-related calls, in illegal dumping, in graffiti, in literal broken windows.”

The ordinance does allow exceptions for owners who are actively trying to sell their buildings or are working to maintain their buildings. Perea added that the city would work with property owners actively trying to fix their buildings.

Council Candidate Says City Must Deal With Homelessness First

But some property owners outside Tower District say if the ordinance goes citywide, which council will consider, the city’s lack of response to homelessness problems unduly punishes owners.

AJ Rassamni, president of the Blackstone Merchants Association,  said property owners along Blackstone Avenue deal with homelessness and vandalism. He said investors won’t commit to areas abandoned by the city government. Rassamni is running for city council in 2026.

“Before threatening property owners with fines and legal action, start by cleaning up the encampments,” Rassamni said. “Restore safety. Create an environment where investors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses feel confident bringing their resources and energy. Then and only then will we see these buildings come back to life.”

City Tests Ordinance Before Expanding It

Perea said they built the pilot program using regulations from other cities. She said she’s tried reaching out to property owners, and many of them say they’re going to do something with their buildings. Years later after those promises, though, they remain vacant, she said.

“We’re wanting to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t work before potentially doing a city-wide ordinance,” Perea said.

The ordinance lasts for one year and applies to buildings from Blackstone Avenue to Fruit Avenue and from Belmont Avenue to McKinley Avenue.

The ordinance says vacant commercial buildings that are secured, boarded, and substandard create blight and discourage economic development.

Vacant buildings are more likely to spread fires as well. This year, 57 vacant buildings have burned down, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

However, Rassamni says the biggest problem is vandalism.

He gave the example of the former Jeb’s Blueberry Hill at Blackstone and Dakota avenues, which has had multiple fires inside the building.

The owner of the property at 3849 N. Blackstone Ave. was not immediately available for comment.

Rassamni said it’s not unusual to see repaired glass broken less than 12 hours later. Thus, property owners board up buildings to keep people from vandalizing or starting fires.

“They cannot fix anything unless we can provide safety and security first. We pay taxes for that,” Rassamni said.

Some Iconic Tower District Buildings Are Long Vacant

Some buildings, especially in the Tower District, have been vacant for years. For example, the Chicken Pie Shop has been vacant since closing in 2019.

“They cannot fix anything unless we can provide safety and security first. We pay taxes for that.” — AJ Rassamni. president, Blackstone Merchants Association

Down the street, the former Babylon Club has been vacant since 2013 after water damage caused it to close. It briefly opened in 2023 to host individual events, according to The Fresno Bee.

The building at 855 E. Fern Ave., which is next to Strummer’s Bar and Grill, has been vacant for decades and is a popular spot for homeless people.

Rassamni said when encampments are removed, revenue to nearby businesses increases by up to 50% within 30 days. Rassamni supported an idea floated in 2023 about an official encampment for homeless people that don’t want shelter.

“We need to have a safe zone and let it be self-managed with the help of a homeless advocate,” Rassamni said.

Property Owner Says He’s Been Warned About Calling Police Too Often

Mon Son Lee owns the building that once housed the Boston Market at Blackstone and Bullard avenues. He’s currently working with the city to get it ready for tenants, he said.

He said he’s had his air conditioning unit stolen, copper wires stripped. After the windows were constantly broken, he boarded them up.

His business partner also was assaulted after asking someone to leave the property.

He said he’s been warned by code enforcement about calling police too much — that he could be fined for excessive calls.

A Fresno Police Department spokesperson said they don’t issue fines on people who call and report problems at their properties. However, police do send out administrative fines for people with multiple nuisance calls who do not work to resolve them.

Calls and emails sent to the city attorneys office went unanswered.

“What else can I do if I don’t call the cops? Do I take the law into my own hands? The answer is ‘no.’ What can I do?” Lee said.