Fresno police headquarters could be moving across the plaza.

The city council will consider a 21-year lease on Thursday for an empty but recently refurbished building, at 2314 Mariposa Street, steps from the current HQ.

The new building, owned by River Park Properties III, was built in 1948 but renovated in 2022. While modern-looking on the outside, it is just a shell. The inside is bare.

At 65,000 square feet, the new building would be 15,000 square feet bigger than the current headquarters. It is three floors above ground, with a basement, and a sub-basement.

In a staff report, the city said asbestos and lead remain problems for the current headquarters built in 1959. It would be easier to lease a new building than refurbish the existing one.

“To do any major renovation with systems like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, it’s nearly impossible without fully abating it, which the estimates I’ve seen are about $7 million,” Police Chief Mindy Casto said.

Casto said employees are “frustrated” with the building’s temperature regulation. Rewiring the building to improve technology is also a challenge, she said.

There would be no rent charge for the first year, but $1.2 million starting in 2026. Rent would increase by 10% in 2031, 2036, and 2041. After the lease, the city could buy the building for $1.

The city plans on using bonds to fund $12 million in tenant improvements.

“For safety, for public access, this building isn’t exactly ideal anymore. So a new building will also allow us enhance some safety features,” Casto said. She wants a bigger lobby and public conference rooms.

No Bidding on Project

The city did not require River Park III — part of developer Ed Kashian’s business empire — to bid for the project. Nor did the city solicit bids, known as request for proposals, from other parties, the city said.

“This decision was based on the unique and specific requirements of the police department, including proximity to both the courthouse and the City Hall Annex, as well as the need for a facility that meets significant space and operational demands. After careful evaluation, it was determined that no other available properties in the area could meet these criteria, making an RFP process impractical in this instance,” City Hall spokesperson Sontaya Rose said.

The current headquarters houses police dispatchers. The city already broke ground on a new dispatch center away from the downtown core, which will provide even more space for others when the department moves.

About 160 employees — not including dispatchers — work out of the building. Casto said she wants to bring detectives who work in other offices in the city into the main building.

“It would bring more continuity of investigations if we could put them in one building, and this would allow for that,” Casto said.

Casto anticipates at least a year to renovate the inside of the building. Once the department moves out, the city plans to demolish the old headquarters.

Backlash to Proposed Park Name

Brandon Vang’s decision to give a new southeast Fresno sports complex a generic name is not sitting well with a group that advocated for the park’s construction.

When the city held a groundbreaking ceremony in February, Mayor Jerry Dyer listed several possible names — Peach Park was an online survey winner. The city council waited until Vang — winner of a March 18 special election — took his seat before making a final decision.

Last week, Vang chose “Southeast Fresno Sports Complex.” The city council will vote on the name Thursday.

Pedro Navarro Cruz, board chair for the Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association, said that name is no good. He wants it named for Jose Leon Barraza, SEFCEDA’s founder “whose vision and leadership made the park a reality.”

“The city council has the chance to get this right,” Navarro Cruz said in a news release. “They can honor the history, respect the community, and show that equity is more than a talking point.”

Venancio Gaona, a community advocate, also supports naming the park for Leon Barraza.

“He has been exemplary in organizing the community in southeast Fresno, something that we need in every community. We need to volunteer somebody to carry a torch,” Gaona said.

Leon Barraza ran for city council in March. He sits on the city’s Measure P committee.

Other names suggested at the time of the groundbreaking included Stone and Seed, Heritage Harvest, The Grove, The Vineyard, Vine and Legacy, Golden Fields, Peach and Vine, Harvest Horizons, and Arbor Legacy.

Vang said there were more than 700 suggestions, and repeated options at the groundbreaking when asked for details.

Several suggested names to honor community members such as Tim Liles, the late principal of nearby Sunnyside High School, and the late Tom Metry, an advocate for youth soccer.

Vang did not respond to a request for comment.

Caballero ‘Welcomes’ Kounalakis to Treasurer Race

Anna Caballero, D-Merced, had a welcoming message for Eleni Kounalakis, D-San Francisco, who left the governor’s race to run for state treasurer.

“I wasn’t born into wealth,” Caballero said, talking about her humble upbringing. “I chose to run for treasurer to build upon my work of saving distressed hospitals across the state, protecting our retirement system, and building more affordable housing.”

Kounalakis, the state’s lieutenant governor, is the daughter of wealthy real estate developer Angelo Tsakopoulos. She is also a former ambassador to Hungary in the Obama administration.

“While millionaires who fund their own campaigns are trying to buy our democracy — deciding which elected office to run for like musical chairs — I am grounded in the cause for our working families,” Caballero said.

Caballero, a state Senator representing parts of Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties, is termed out in 2026. She challenged Kounalakis to “a series of debates.”

When Kounalakis switched, former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf dropped out of the treasurer’s race. Former Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon raised funds for a treasurer’s race, but has since switched to the state superintendent of public instruction contest.

An email to Kounalakis’ campaign went unanswered.