Broadway Showdown - update from Fresno Famous on Downtown development

Work on downtown's latest mural has been halted. The new mural (which now features a chimp with its brain exposed, among other colorful surreal images) was nearing completion when artists were asked to stop working on it last Tuesday. The mural is located on the north wall of 1416 Broadway, at Tuolumne. The building, which will house 24 new artist studios, a gallery, and a coffee shop/jazz bar, is tentatively scheduled to open in two weeks.

It seems a showdown's a-brewin' between [Famous landlord] Reza Assemi, the building's owner, and Cliff Tutelian, the new owner of the parking lots that flank either side of 1416 Broadway. Artists must be in the parking lot to work on the mural, but won't be allowed back until a legal agreement can be reached between the two parties.

Tutelian & Co. is the developer behind the Broadway Row project, a tax-payer assisted residential and commercial project that would span from Tuolumne to Stanislaus, the railroad tracks to the alley between Fulton and Broadway. Nobody knows exactly what the Broadway Row project would look like, but it is clear it would involve demolishing several brick warehouses, including 1416 Broadway. It would also destroy Jon Jon's Grand Central Station. Jon Jon's owner Matt Maroot has spoken repeatedly about favoring development that includes existing downtown businesses.

If the council approves the Broadway Row project without accommodation for these buildings, they could be taken by recently strengthened eminent domain laws.

Broadway Row has not received final approval from the city, and parties involved say it's likely to come before council in the next few weeks. What's at stake is much more than one mural: The Broadway Row decision is likely to be a referedum on how development is done downtown. Do we allow large (taxpayer-funded) projects to wipe out the efforts of individual entrepreneurs, or do we let our urban area develop organically whenever possible?

We couldn't obtain any public plans of Broadway Row and calls to our City Councilwoman's office have not yet been returned. The way downtown development happens today will decide if we get a thriving urban space with unique character or a quick fix just waiting to look dated. We would hope the city will allow time for public review; it's our downtown and our tax dollars after all. Expect a lot more on this.