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A "Fact Sheet" regarding the nomination of the Fulton Mall to the National Register of Historic Places was prepared by Karana Hattersley-Drayton, Historic Preservation Manager of the City of Fresno.  Following is a revision prepared by the applicants of the Fulton Mall nomination in the interest of accuracy and objectivity.  For example, we have replaced value-laden terms "benefits" and "constraints" with the neutral term "effects."  Also we have removed suggestions that private property may be adversely affected by the listing of the mall itself.

Information About:

National Register Nomination for the Fulton Mall

Fresno's Fulton Mall, a 6-block publicly owned urban park, paid for with federal urban renewal funds and held in trust by the City of Fresno for the over 250 million people of the United States of America, has been nominated by the Downtown Fresno Coalition to the National Register of Historic Places.  The following attempts to answer questions posed by property owners and the public, regarding effects of listing. 

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

  • The National Register of Historic Places was established by the United States Congress in 1966.  It is considered an "authoritative guide" for the identification of the Nation's cultural resources.  There are 28 sites in Fresno on the National Register of Historic Places.

(See attached list).

What is the History of the Fulton Mall?

  • The Fulton Mall is a pedestrian Mall and urban park in downtown Fresno and was developed in 1964.  It is six blocks, one-half mile, in length, with three partial cross malls.  The Mall was designed by Garrett Eckbo for Victor Gruen and Associates, as the intended centerpiece of the comprehensive federal urban renewal plan for the   transformation of Fresno's downtown area.

Why Was It Nominated for Historic Status?  What were the Criteria for the Nomination?

  • The Fresno Fulton Mall was nominated by the applicant under Criterion C of the National Register as 1) the finest example of pedestrian mall design resulting from the federal government's urban renewal programs of the post World-War Two era;

2) it has been acknowledged as a major achievement of Garrett Eckbo, one of the leading theoreticians and practitioners of 20th century landscape architecture; and 3) as an excellent example of the influence of Modernist (post-World War II)

                 design ideas on landscape architecture.

  • The Fulton Mall was also nominated under Criterion A for recreation and social history because of the important way it provides a venue for human interaction and social events in central Fresno.
  • Because the Mall is less than 50 years of age it must also meet the threshold under Criterion G, as a property of "exceptional importance."    This includes a discussion of the property's historic context, scholarly and comparative evaluation, and the rate of loss of comparable properties within the last 50 years.

Who Prepared the National Register Nomination?

  • The nomination of the Fulton Mall was prepared by the Downtown Fresno Coalition, an organization of concerned citizens. 

What are the Effects of Being Listed on the National Register?

  • Historic designation allows use of the California Historical Building Code, which provides greater flexibility in meeting health and safety requirements.
  • Property values may increase for historic properties.
  • Historic sites are important in heritage and cultural tourism.
  • National Register properties are eligible for special grants and funds.
  • A designated historic property is protected under local, state and federal law.
  • As a historical resource under CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act),

more thorough review would be required for proposed significant changes to the Mall. 

  • Generally, historic properties must use the Secretary of Interior's Standards. Normally one repairs or replaces in kind, but changes are also possible, as with the proposed "backpack" addition to the National Register Fresno Bee (Met) building.

How Would National Register Designation for the Mall Affect the Buildings Along the Mall?

  • Designation of the Mall would NOT extend to the buildings that line the Mall, only the urban park, its landscape features and infrastructure.
  • Designation of the Mall would permit associated buildings to advertise or identify themselves in terms of their proximity to a nationally historic resource.

What will be the Economic Impacts to Downtown Development?

  • The question of economic impacts is complex and multifaceted: To answer this, one might consider these questions:  How have pedestrian malls listed on the National Register fared throughout the United States and why?   Are businesses along the Fulton Mall economically successful now?  How do we define and who defines "success?"
  •  Are listing and economic interests mutually exclusive?

What Happens Next?

  • The City of Fresno and the Downtown Association are conducting numerous public workshops over the next several months.  The Historic Preservation Commission will be asked to make a recommendation on the nomination at their October 13th special meeting.
  • The nomination of the Fulton Mall to the National Register will then be reviewed at the November meeting of the State Historical Resources Commission.

For more information contact:

 1,000 Friends of Fresno at 1000friendsoffresno.org/downtownfresnocoalition.html; Cultural Landscape Foundation at tclf.org.


Fresno Properties on the National Register

Historic Landmark:

Fresno Sanitary Landfill (West and Jensen Avenues; 1937, Jean Vincenz)

Historic Places:

Fresno Brewing Company   (100 M Street; 1907; Eugene Mathewson)

Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church (2226 Ventura; 1914;  Lawrence K. Cone)

The Warehouse Row Buildings (725-764 P Street; 1903, 1909, 1910)

The Fresno Republican Printery (2130 Kern Street; 1919; Edward Glass and Charles Butner)

The Bank of Italy Building (1001 Fulton Mall; 1917; R.F. Felchlin Co.  Charles Franklin, architect)

Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (1713 Tulare Street; 1889)

Maubridge Apartment Building (2344 Tulare; 1911; Benjamin G. McDougall)

Santa Fe Railroad Depot (2650 Tulare Street; 1899; W.B. Story, Builder)

The Santa Fe Hotel

The Thomas R. Meux Home (1007 R Street; 1889)

The Rehorn Home (1050 S Street; 1906; Alexander C. Swartz)

The H.H. Brix Mansion (2844 Fresno Street; 1911; Edward T. Foulkes)

The Physician's Building (2607 Fresno Street; 1926; Charles E. Butner)

Twining Laboratories (2527 Fresno Street; 1930; Charles E. Butner)

Old Fresno Water Tower (2444 Fresno Street; 1894; George Washington Maher)

Fresno Memorial Auditorium (2425 Fresno Street; 1936; Allied Architects of Fresno)

The Fresno Bee Building (1545 Van Ness Avenue; 1922; Leonard F. Starks)

The Pantages (Warnor's) Theatre (1400 Fulton Street; 1929; B. Marcus Priteca)

The Einstein Home (1600 M Street; 1912; Edward T. Foulkes)

Y.W. C.A. Residence Hall (1660 M Street; 1922; Julia Morgan)

The Romain Home (2055 San Joaquin Street; 1905; Eugene Mathewson)

The Tower Theatre (1201 N. Wishon; 1939; S. Charles Lee)

Kindler Home (1520 E. Olive Avenue; R.F. Felchlin)

The Fresno City College Old Administration Building (1101 E. University Avenue; 1916;

     George McDougall)

Forestiere Underground Gardens (5021 W. Shaw Avenue; 1906)

The Hotel Californian (851 Van Ness Avenue; 1923; R.F. Felchlin Co., Raymond Shaw, architect)

San Joaquin Light and Power Company Building/PGE Building (1401 Fulton Street; 1923; 

     R.F. Felchlin Co.)

Kearney Mansion (in County)

  • For a .pdf (printable version) of this documentclick here



The Downtown Fresno Coalition was formed to promote responsible revitalization of downtown Fresno, making it not only a more prosperous commercial center, but also an attractive gathering place for Fresno's diverse population to intermingle and hold cultural and ethnic events. We also wish to preserve downtown Fresno's rich architectural heritage.

Fulton Mall

One of the Downtown Fresno Coalition's most abiding concerns is to ensure that the Fulton Mall be preserved and properly appreciated as one of Fresno's most distinctive landmarks. Completed in 1964, the Fulton Mall was the centerpiece of a master plan to bring a unified design to downtown Fresno. The plan was created by the distinguished architectural and planning firm Victor Gruen and Associates, which then engaged Garrett Eckbo to design the Mall. Through his practice and theoretical writings Eckbo had revolutionized landscape architecture, gaining national and international prominence as one of the most eminent landscape architects of the 20th Century.

The Mall was created by closing six blocks of Fulton Street along with short segments of three intersecting streets to vehicular traffic. Eckbo's design brilliantly integrates art and landscape architecture to create a parklike setting containing sculptures, pools, fountains, flowing streams, trees, shrubs, flowers, seating areas, and tot lots.

The Fulton Mall immediately received worldwide attention. National magazines published articles about it and more than fifty cities sent official delegations to inspect it. Professional publications have praised the Mall for setting a high standard of design. The Mall provides a serene oasis in the center of a bustling city, and in the words of Eckbo has become "a social space, a focus of community interest and events, a promenade and rendezvous with friends. . . ."

The following photographs give a small sampling of what the Mall offers. Our hope is that they will encourage the viewer to visit the Mall. Groups interested in a free guided tour should leave a message at 291-2261. (Please click on any image to view it in detail, with caption.)


[Photographs © Hal Tokmakian 2004.]

The Coalition's brochure describing a walking tour of the Fulton Mall may be obtained by calling (559) 291-2261.

Photo Essays and Historical Information About the Fulton Mall

A virtual walking tour, developed by the Fresno County Office of Tourism, begins at the north end of the Mall and continues south in the sequence of the map given on their web site. It includes a brief history of the Valley, along with photos of the Mall's historic architecture and the public art collection displayed on the Mall. Text used on the web site was taken from the Fresno Fulton Mall Walking Tour brochure, with information compiled by Mabelle Selland, Heritage Fresno.

The Downtown Fresno Coalition also provides a collection of photographs of the Mall, with interesting explanations of the meaning of the art pieces as they relate to the history of the Valley. The Coalition's brochure describing a walking tour of the Fulton Mall may be obtained by calling (559) 291-2261.

A list of Historic Groups in Fresno, California, prepared by the Preservation Committee of the Fresno City and Couty Historical Society, provides links to information about historic districts and architecture in Fresno. Links to six walking tours are provided, including a Guide to Historic Architecture on the Fulton Mall.

The Downtown Association of Fresno provides some great photos of Downtown Fresno in their Gallery of Past Events, including photos of Fulton Mall art and Cinco De Mayo events on the Mall, and Brad Polzin's Photo Gallery of Fulton Plaza Thursdays. The Association also lists downtown restaurants by category, along with a downtown parking guide with printable maps, a stadium parking map, and a history of Fulton Mall revitalization efforts.

To contact your Fresno City Council member about the proposed decisions affecting the Fulton Mall, please see the 1000 Friends of Fresno Elected Officials page, which provides addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and district maps of all City Council members.

Update on the Fulton Mall Study Workshop

2006 Fulton Mall Report

At their March 14, 2006 meeting, the City Council directed the City Manager and the Redevelopment Director to appoint staff to work with community members to oversee the collection of data through a public process so Council and the Agency can make a decision on how to proceed with the Fulton Mall, and identify resources or funding as deemed necessary to ensure a successful community event. This report provides the results of the research and community discussion, and makes recommendations for further action. All comments and correspondence received during the study period are included in the report.

The date of workshop scheduled for October 24, 2006, at Fresno City Hall has been postponed until the Downtown Transportation and Infrastructure Study (DTIS) has been completed. Staff would then present both studies concurrently.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

Terri Saldivar, Executive Assistant
City Manager's Office
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Terri.Saldivar@fresno.gov

Phone: (559) 621-7796
Fax: (559) 621-7776

MALLS AROUND THE WORLD


 

Bruges, Belgium 

 

Budapest, Hungary 

Copenhagen, Denmark

Delft, Holland 

Dublin, Ireland

Hanover, Germany

Madrid, Spain 

Munich, Germany 

Beijing, China 

Rouen, France

Stockholm, Sweden

St. Petersburg, Russia

Warsaw, Poland



VINTAGE BUILDING TO GET NEW VISAGE
Fresno 'Redeveloper' takes on 103-year-old edifice near stadium

Steve Geil, left, works with Del Estabrooke of the city's Public Works Department to determine the feasibility of renovating the city-owned Hobbs-Parsons Building. Geil is negotiating with Fresno's Redevelopment Agency to buy the 103-year-old produce warehouse at Tulare and H streets.
Christian Parley / The Fresno Bee
By George Hostetter
The Fresno Bee
August 21, 2006

Excerpts from the article:

A historic building remodeled for new generations to enjoy.

A business created with jobs to fill.

A big stride taken in downtown revitalization.

And profits for investors.

Call it the grand slam of hopes for the 103-year-old Hobbs-Parsons Building at the corner of H and Tulare streets in downtown Fresno, across from Grizzlies Stadium.

City officials say they're confident the hopes will come true now that businessman Steve Geil and the Redevelopment Agency have begun talks on a deal that would transform the weathered former produce warehouse into a downtown jewel.

Geil, who calls himself a "redeveloper" with a half-dozen successful downtown rehab projects under his belt, wants to turn the long, narrow building into offices and a restaurant. The City Council, sitting as the agency board, directed staff Tuesday to negotiate the sale of the building to a company headed by Geil.

Council Member/agency Chairwoman Cynthia Sterling says Geil's project will be the catalyst for more development around the stadium.

"We're so supportive of what Steve is doing," Sterling said. "He is showing what we can do with historic buildings. This is the start."

Geil promises to retain the building's architectural heritage even as he frees it from decades of grime, neglect and muddled remodeling...

...A report from Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Marlene Murphey shows Geil has a record of downtown success. It includes the remodel of three buildings on Van Ness Avenue, two occupied by federal workers and the third by city construction management employees.

> "I've never lost money on a downtown project," Geil said.

Geil's challenge is taking a building listed on the Fresno Local Register of Historic Resources, retaining an architectural charm protected by law and producing a safe building ready for the Internet Age.

Constructed in 1903, the building for years was home to the Hobbs-Parsons Company, a fruit and produce wholesaler. In a 1978 review of the building for the city, architect William Patnaude wrote that "only two or three buildings of this era still stand in the city..."

...Geil said he hired Johnson Architecture, which did designs for the renovated Santa Fe Depot, to bridge past and present...

Geil said he sees potential. Armed with designs from Johnson Architecture's Brian Gallo, he leads a tour of the building at a double-time clip.

The building's south end is a large cold-storage area. The fans still work and signs on the wall identify where produce was to be stored: baby bok choy, lemongrass, yuchoy, sugar peas, to name a few...

...The building's east wall once had large, arched openings so trucks hauling produce could drive inside. The openings were filled in, but Geil wants to turn them into large windows with Grizzlies Stadium as a backdrop.

Said Geil: "I like bringing old buildings back and making them useful. It's fun."

The reporter can be reached at ghostetter@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6272.

Related Links

Evolution of Fresno's Eaton Plaza Master Plan

Eaton Plaza is located at the heart of Fresno’s Civic Center between the Memorial Auditorium, Fresno Library, Federal Courthouse and Fresno Police Station. The historic Fresno Water Tower, listed on the National Registry, sits at the north corner overlooking the park.

MPA Design is working through an extensive public participation process to develop a master plan to transform the park, currently used for surface parking, to a new urban plaza. Through a series of stakeholder meetings of as many as 60 people, community meetings of 30-50 people, city staff meetings, and two questionnaires to gain knowledge of the desired activities and image of the park, MPA has prepared 7 master plan schemes with preliminary cost estimates, for presentation. Thereafter through a series of public meetings and stakeholder meetings, a consensus plan has been selected by the community which will be presented to the City Council for approval, summer 2004.
-- From the MPA Design Web site.

The Grand Opening of the Eaton Plaza Amphitheater was held on August 3, 2006. The Fresno Bee Article about the event is here.

A PLAZA REBORN

Amphitheater's debut kicks off renovation at Fresno's Eaton Plaza.

By George Hostetter / The Fresno Bee
Friday, August 4, 2006

Excerpt from the article:

It took nearly six decades, but downtown Fresno's Eaton Plaza is finally looking like a real park.

> City officials celebrated the opening of Eaton's new amphitheater Thursday evening, marking completion of the first phase in the park's long-anticipated renovation.

City Manager Andy Souza said the amphitheater is "the rebirth of what is truly a beautiful green space downtown."

More than 100 people gathered in the amphitheater in the park's southwest corner to hear brief speeches from city officials, watch dance groups perform and listen to music.

"This is your park," Council Member Brian Calhoun told the audience. "This is what your taxes are paying for. This is why people are looking to downtown to come back."

The reporter can be reached at ghostetter@fresnobee.comor (559) 441-6272.
Original article, with photos by Darrel Wong.

For more information about Eaton Plaza, please see the Downtown Fresno Coalition page.

Fresno Fulton Plaza Thursdays!

Please see the Downtown Association of Fresno Web site for more details and great photos, including the Fulton Plaza Thursdays Photo Gallery by Brad Polzin.

Also provided at the Downtown Association of Fresno site is an incredible list of the many restaurants in downtown Fresno, listed by area and category and a downtown parking guide. Other helpful links include a printable map of downtown parking lots, a Downtown Guide (map), a history of the Fulton Mall Revitalization efforts, and a Stadium Parking Map with directions from area freeways.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

You can park in one of several garages and lots nearby – just look for the big white "P" on blue signs, or the City's downtown parking guide at www.fresno.gov/downtown/parking.

Seating is available, but you are encouraged to bring your favorite chair!

Do you know what you're missing? Check out the photo gallery of past Fulton Plaza Thursdays
Many thanks to Photographer Brad Polzin for the great pictures! (Photos Copyright Brad Polzin.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you have questions about Fulton Plaza Thursdays or would like to be a vendor, please call the Downtown Association at (559) 490-9966 or email balch@post.harvard.edu.

Chinatown Revitalization

Fresno's Historic Chinatown was established in 1885 and was the central hub for Fresno for many years. In fact, most of Fresno's cultural and ethnic communities can call Chinatown their original home. From the late 1880s to the mid 1950s, it was not unusual to find a Japanese newspaper publisher next door to an Italian market. Walking down the streets of Chinatown, one could find a German feed shop, a Chinese herbalist, an African-American blacksmith shop, an Armenian hotel and a Basque restaurant and ball court. One could enjoy the tradition of Japanese Sumo Wrestling or see a live theater show and movie at a Mexican theater. (Continued, with photos, at Fresno's Chinatown.)

Historic Architecture in Fresno

A Guide to Historic Architecture in Fresno, California

Dedicated to providing information about historic architectural resources in Fresno, California, and encouraging their preservation. This site was created and is maintained by Kevin Enns-Rempel, with assistance from John Edward Powell and others. Please direct e-mail comments about this site to Kevin Enns-Rempel at link given above.

Also provided at this link:

  • Buildings in the National Register of Historic Places
  • Buildings in the Local Register of Historic Resources
  • Historic Districts
  • Historic Architecture Tours
  • Historic Building Surveys of Selected Areas
  • Biographies of Prominent Architects, Designers and Builders
  • Historic Preservation Organizations
  • A Guide to Local Historic Preservation Research Resources
  • Historic Residence Research Resources:
    A Guide for the Layperson to Sources of Building Data in Fresno

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