Eight years ago this week, I exited The Bee’s former building on E Street on foot, ignored a “Road Closed” sign in front of the newly built Tuolumne Street bridge and delved into the mystery and possibility of downtown Fresno.
Fulton Street was a maze of chain-link fences as construction crews made final preparations for the return of car traffic to downtown’s main commercial row following the removal of the decayed pedestrian mall. That October, more than 10,000 attended the dedication ceremony – at the time a monumental turnout. There were speeches, a parade, live music and pop-up businesses occupying many of the vacant storefronts.
While no one believed the reopening of Fulton Street would by itself revitalize downtown, there was optimism the $20 million project (25% went to restoring and relocating public art) could serve as a catalyst…