FRESNO – The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a $426.5 million overhaul of its aging facilities as deferred maintenance costs continue to mount.
As part of the 10-year master plan, experts urged the supervisors at their Sept. 8 meeting to consider demolishing the historic Fresno County Plaza Building after they determined the old facility was too costly to renovate.
“The plaza building has reached the end of its useful life,” County Chief Operating Officer Ed Hill said.
Representatives from Gensler — the San Francisco-based architecture firm hired last year to develop the plan — reported that the county’s current portfolio reflects a lack of “cohesive, long term strategy” informing how investments are made.
A central goal of the master plan was to create a consistent framework for making “smarter, more coordinated investments” in properties the county already owns. According to the report, 38% of county facilities are over 50 years old — making them beyond their functional prime without significant renovation — and an additional 24% are approaching that marker.
Additionally, several of the county’s “cornerstone” buildings, including the Hall of Records, face significant deferred maintenance issues. Renovations could cost as much as $100 million, according to Hill.
Meanwhile, the county faces a competitive Fresno office market with vacancy rates well below the national average, making it more difficult to buy new facilities. The county was able to purchase two downtown office buildings in April, but consultants said the acquisitions still do not meet the county’s current needs.
“We are playing catch up on a lot of the issues that the board inherited,” Hill said.
According to Genlser principal consultant Kevin Rosenstein, Fresno County is now at an “inflection point.” This gave officials an opportunity to establish a better strategy to maintain current facilities while addressing gaps in support services across urban and rural neighborhoods.
“We believe that timing is critical,” Rosenstein said.
Six-point plan to overhaul facility investments
The facilities master plan outlines six priorities for future facilities investment, including strengthening downtown Fresno as a civic center, prioritizing property ownership over leases and improving access to services in rural communities.
The first phase recommends building new facilities for the Sheriff’s Department, Public Works Department and Emergency Services Dispatch Center. It also calls on the county to acquire a new facility for the Department of Child Support Services, in addition to completing planned renovations of the Hall of Records, the Crocker Building and other recently acquired spaces.
Experts also encouraged board members to demolish the Plaza and sell the land to an outside developer for future use. The report estimates that demolition would cost up to $23.5 million.
The second phase focuses on the county’s facilities in underserved communities, which experts described as “generally well positioned.” The report recommended improving geographic equity, expanding digital infrastructure to support online services and strengthening community partnerships to improve services at existing facilities.
“It’s more of an opportunity to improve how services are delivered,” Gelser project manager Paul Natzke said.
Several county supervisors expressed concerns about the $425.6 million price tag that comes with the recommendations, including the approximate $380 million that would need to be financed through “long-term borrowing” over a 20-year repayment period.
However, board members were assured that the recommended approach would require the least amount of borrowing while still meeting county needs compared to alternatives.
The supervisors ultimately agreed to review their funding options in the upcoming weeks, as the board will begin discussing the county’s next fiscal year budget.
“We’re looking at hundreds of millions of dollars of investment that’s needed, which can’t be done overnight, but it gives us the direction we need to move in,” Supervisor Nathan Magsig said.
Hill emphasized that the master plan is a living document that will adapt as economic conditions, funding opportunities and market challenges change.
“The plan … will require a lot of investment, but in the long term, it’ll help save the county a considerable amount,” Hill said.
