City of Fresno Seeks to Evict Granite Park Operator For Third Time

Courts

By David Taub, Senior Reporter

Published 1 hour ago on

March 13, 2026

The city of Fresno is attempting to evict the nonprofit operator of the Granite Park Sports Complex. The case returns to court on Monday. The park features baseball fields, including this one with a Fenway Park motif. (GV Wire/David Taub)

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The city of Fresno is returning to court for the third time to evict the nonprofit operator of the Granite Park Sports Complex.

On Friday morning, the entrance banner was faded, but the sports fields remain well-maintained. A decade ago, the site was overrun with weeds and abandoned equipment.

The Central Valley Community Sports Foundation has leased the complex on Cedar Avenue, between Dakota and Ashlan avenues, since December 2015. The park includes baseball and softball fields with outfield walls modeled after famous Major League Baseball stadiums, as well as soccer fields.

Tensions between CVCSF President and CEO Terance Frazier, the city and nearby business neighbors have led to multiple lawsuits.

The city filed an unlawful detainer — a formal eviction lawsuit — against CVCSF on Dec. 9, 2025, in Fresno County Superior Court. Judge Maria G. Diaz is scheduled to hear the city’s motion for summary judgment Monday afternoon.

The entrance banner at the Granite Park Sports Complex shows signs of wear and tear as seen on March 13, 2026. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Third Attempt at Eviction

In court filings, the city said the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation defaulted on its Granite Park Sports Complex lease by failing to pay rent and violating contract terms.

The lease required the nonprofit to pay $62,500 annually, with a 2.75% yearly increase, while the city provided a $150,000 yearly subsidy. The parties have disputed who is responsible for maintenance, including plumbing, and what counts as “capital improvements.”

The city’s first eviction attempt in January 2025 was dismissed after a judge found technical errors providing adequate notice, though the city was allowed to refile. A second filing in April 2025 was abandoned after CVCSF’s lender intervened. Frazier said the city “folded.”

The current, third filing has produced thousands of pages of motions and filings from both sides. LandValue Management, which took over a $1.5 million financing deal, has again moved to intervene, and the motion is pending.

Judge Maria G. Diaz rejected a CVCSF request to hold separate trials on the city’s two complaints.

The city says CVCSF owes $79,784 in rent and $218 per day since Sept. 12, 2025, more than $500,000 in utilities and $400,000 from digital billboard revenue. Other complaints include facility maintenance lapses, unapproved concession sales, and fire department citations.

CVCSF maintains it owes no money, saying its $2 million investment in the park offsets the rent and keeps it “current in its rental obligation for several decades.”

Left: One of the baseball/softball fields at the Granite Park Sports Complex resembles San Francisco’s Oracle Park, seen here on March 13, 2026. A digital billboard overlooks Highway 168 is seen in the background. Right: A baseball field resembling Chicago’s Wrigley Field. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Half-Million to Maintain

“There’s so much we want to do, but we can’t with this hanging over our heads.” — Granite Park Sports Complex GM Chris Foxen

The park’s general manager, Chris Foxen, said maintenance costs about $500,000 a year and the facility employs 35 people, mostly part-time.

Foxen said the city’s lawsuits have hurt operations.

“There’s so much we want to do, but we can’t with this hanging over our heads,” he said. He added that several sponsors withdrew support during the eviction battle.

The city demanded removal of a large tent from the grounds which resulted in several citations.

The nonprofit removed a large tent last September but received a 90-day permit in January. The tent is now back, providing shade for visitors at the snack bar. Granite Park also includes a bar.

It remains unclear what would happen if the city wins and evicts CVCSF. City officials did not immediately answer questions about the cost of running the complex directly. A city spokesperson said officials are focused on current budget meetings.

The city of Fresno has battled Granite Park Sports Complex over a tent on the property, seen here on March 13, 2026. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Frazier: Eviction is Retaliation

Terance Frazier has an ongoing federal civil rights lawsuit against the city.

The dispute stems from 2018, when the nonprofit requested the city double its $150,000 annual subsidy for the park. The city responded with an audit, which Frazier alleged was “falsified” and prematurely released to defame him.

“Since … the commencement of the subject lease agreement, the city of Fresno has engaged in an extensive retaliatory public smear campaign against my company (CVCSF) and me … fueled by racial bias,” Frazier, who is Black, said in a court declaration.

He also claims the city failed to make lease-required payments and upgrades. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone is scheduled to hear the city’s motion to dismiss on July 9. Frazier filed the case in 2020.

Frazier also has a separate lawsuit against the city and CVCSF’s neighbor, the parent company of Club One Casino, over parking. That case is scheduled for trial on May 11.