Wandering around downtown, you never know what you’ll discover.

For instance, I spotted this hole in the ground downtown. At the corner of L St. & Tuolumne. Two backhoes and a bobcat sit resting after the destruction. They’re going to have to dig their way out.

What was a building is now sculptural piles of broken concrete and twisted rebar.

I’d rather write about construction and what new designs are in store for Fresno.

This was the site of the Cornerstone Youth Center. I’m not sure if it was being used recently. Cornerstone Church is one of the largest property owners in Downtown Fresno. While I don’t know much of the facts, I offer these visuals to explore. Meanwhile I’ll try to find out if Cornerstone still owns the site and plans to develop a new building, or if they sold it to another party that will develop it.

This is what used to be here. Not really an architectural gem, so I’m not sad to see it go.

View Larger Map

Demolition is a complicated concept for me. On one hand the process is somewhat beautiful to me. The is also the creative aspect of imagining what might go in its place. On the other hand, knowing Fresno development, the site may sit vacant for years, another missing tooth in Downtown’s smile.

What do you think should go in this building’s place? What functions should it have? How tall should it be?

In addition to the L Street & San Joaquin Avenue proposal, also on Monday’s agenda of the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission was the proposed demolition of three properties on Broadway Avenue near Tuolumne. The three building were not on any historic registry. However, in a historic survey of the area they were found to be contributors to a potential historic district called Broadway Auto Row. The district included a strip of buildings that where once used as Car showrooms parts suppliers and repair shops.

View Larger Map

The proposed demolition was brought to the Commission by owners Will Dyke and Reza Assemi. Reza developed a building across the street called Broadway Studios which features a restored facade containing 3 commercial spaces in front and 20+ artist work studios in the back.

The discussion by the Commission did get heated and even jumped to the controversial demolition by Will Dyke of the Nationally Registered Ice House Building. (1, 2, 3, 4) At one point architect and commissioner said “Downtown keeps getting it teeth knocked out.” Also as coauthor of Fresno’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, he disagreed with staff abou the intent of the Ordinance.

The only action the committee could talk was to recomend the the buildings are individually eligable for the Local Registry. That is a higher threshold than a building that is a contributor to a historic district. It was a 4 to 2 vote to not rocomend the buildings for the Local Registry. That vote cleared the path for Will and Reza to pull a demolition pemit for the three buildings.

I had written about the demolition of the two buildings next door to these properties. The building on the end was commonly known as the Nightmare Building. On Fresno Famous the post was title Eulogy of the Nightmare.