24-295 Draft CEDS Appendix.pdf — Fresno City Council, March 21, 2024

APPENDIX A: S.W.O.T.

Strengths and Assets ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Economic Environment ......................................................................................................................... 2 Physical Environment ............................................................................................................................ 4 Social Environment ............................................................................................................................... 4 Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 6 Economic Environment ......................................................................................................................... 6 Physical Environment ............................................................................................................................ 8 Social Environment ............................................................................................................................... 9 Threats .................................................................................................................................................... 11 External Challenges (Threats) ............................................................................................................. 11 Opportuni�es .......................................................................................................................................... 12

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 1 SWOT Analysis
This assessment of the city’s strengths (assets) weaknesses and threats (challenges) is a culmina�on of data and trends analysis presented in the Economic Condi�ons Report (Appendix B), review of background documents, community surveys, and personal interviews with community stakeholders.

The high-level goal of the Fresno CEDS is to balance the economic, social and physical environments that support an economically healthy community. These environments are connected and inﬂuence each other. For example,
Combined, these factors inﬂuence and deﬁne the city’s economic development opportuni�es and ul�mate success. The strengths and assets, weaknesses and challenges, and threats (external challenges) of each of these three elements are presented in this sec�on along with a discussion of the signiﬁcance to economic development.

 workforce talent, education, and business diversity and growth are elements of Fresno’s economic environment
 infrastructure, transportation, and land for development are reflections of Fresno’s physical environment
 housing, population dynamics and other features related to “sense of place” are reflections of Fresno’s social environment

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 2 Strengths and Assets
Strengths and assets are tangible and intangible assets a community has and can oﬀer business. They set a community apart and give it a compe��ve advantage over its compe��on. Below is a discussion of the City of Fresno’s assets and advantages and the signiﬁcance to economic development.

Economic Environment Signiﬁcance
Stability. Fresno is economically stable; city
ﬁnances are strong with good reserves.

A safe and secure community depends on a
ﬁscally healthy government that can provide the
public services needed by the community with a
balance of revenues and costs over �me, even if
the community changes, or is faced with
economic, natural, or poli�cal risks.

Cost. Favorable cost of living compared to the
state.

Lower cost of living is a posi�ve sign for residents,
new businesses, and entrepreneurial growth.

Entrepreneurs. Strong entrepreneurial spirit is
evidenced by the small business incubators and
many sources of technical and ﬁnancial
assistance provided by local organiza�ons
including, but not limited to:
 California State University Fresno’s Water,
Energy, Technology (WET) Center
 The Pi Shop
 Vision View
 Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation
 FUSD’s Patino School of Entrepreneurship
 Asian Business Institute & Resource Center
Entrepreneurship improves standards of living
and creates wealth for the entrepreneur and
related businesses (suppliers). This wealth is most
o�en kept within the community as locally
owned businesses are more likely to contribute to
community projects, support local chari�es,
youth sports, etc.

Business and Industry. Between 2011 and 2021,
Fresno’s traded sector (businesses that export
products and services, and import dollars, e.g. ag,
manufacturing) grew both in jobs (2.9%) and in
Gross Regional Product (GRP) (5.7%).

The local or popula�on-serving businesses
(grocery, personal services, government, etc.)
experienced similar growth in jobs (2.4%) and in
GRP (5.5%).

Visitor serving businesses (lodging, por�ons of
retail, food services, entertainment) experienced
job growth of (1.4%) and GRP is (0.6%).

Posi�ve growth in each industry sector, especially
during recent economic shocks, is good news and
an indicator of overall economic strength and
resiliency.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 3 Job Growth. Historic job growth (2011-2022) by
industry sector shows: 1) Goods producing jobs
experienced 3.22% growth (71% of jobs); 2) Local
serving jobs experienced 3.54% growth (19% of
jobs); and 3) Visitor serving jobs experienced

2.02% growth (10% of jobs)
A higher share of employment in goods
producing jobs is posi�ve due to the economic
impact derived from higher skilled/higher wage
jobs associated with this sector.

Talent Development. There is excellent local
access to post secondary educa�on (CSUF, Fresno
City College, etc.). Fresno shows a commitment
to career technical educa�on (CTE) schools
(Pa�no, CART, etc.), dual enrollment, cer�ﬁcate
and licensing programs for in-demand
occupa�ons. The Fresno Regional Workforce
Development Board’s 2023 Biennial Modiﬁca�on
to the Local Plan priori�zes a commitment to
career pathways in programs and services.

Employers seek an exis�ng educated and skilled
workforce and assurance of a con�nuous pipeline
of skilled labor.

Established linkages between primary and post
secondary educa�onal ins�tu�ons and workforce
demonstrates a recogni�on of the importance of
skilled labor to business success and the local
economy.

Talent Development. Fresno students’
educa�onal atainment from less than 9th grade
to AA degrees is slightly beter than the state,
however, lags behind the state in percent of
students that obtain a BS or graduate or
professional degree.

Educa�onal atainment is important to employers
who seek an educated and skilled workforce.

Educa�onal atainment includes not only degrees
from two and four year colleges and universi�es,
but also the atainment of licenses and
cer�ﬁcates for specialty trades and occupa�ons.

Commute. A majority (73.9%) of City of Fresno
employed residents aged 16+ work in the city.

Most of the remaining workers are employed
within the county or nearby ci�es of Clovis,
Madera, or Sanger. The mean travel �me is just
22 minutes.

New prospec�ve businesses would be
encouraged by indica�ons of an easily accessible
labor pool. A signiﬁcant number of out-
commuters would force businesses to look
outside the city to atract workers.

Income. The median household income in the
city experienced a 10-year average annual
increase of 0.71% which is more than Fresno
County (0.23%) or the State of California (0.68%).

Median household income is a measure of how
families are doing ﬁnancially.

Source of Income. The share of personal income
from earned wages is unchanged from 2017 to
2021 (79%). Small changes in the source of
income in the city are 1) a slight increase in the
share coming from re�rement (14% to 17%); and
2) a slight decline in the share from public
assistance (10% to 8%).

Wages play a major role in the economy by giving
workers spending power. This refers not only to
the money workers earn that they spend on
necessi�es, but also the money they save or use
in the short term for consumer goods, recrea�on,
travel and inves�ng.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 4 Physical Environment Signiﬁcance
Loca�on and Market Access. Transporta�on
network includes an interna�onal airport, state
highways (99, 180, 41), access to interstate
highway (5) within 50 miles, freight rail, high
speed rail (HSR) is under construc�on.

Air service generates a tremendous amount of
economic ac�vity and is a driver for atrac�ng
investment, business, and tourism.

Transporta�on services also generate
employment and provide mobility for ci�zens.

HSR (when completed) will provide similar
beneﬁts as air service. The highway network is
essen�al for both personal and business use.

Broadband. The City con�nues to pursue the
expansion of small cell 5G sites to include
disadvantaged communi�es; Central Valley
Independent Network (CVIN) connects public
buildings; the City received funding for last mile
improvements; ongoing upgrades and expansions
including master planning for citywide ﬁber.

A strong communica�ons network and closing
the gap on the digital divide ensures that
residents, businesses, and visitors have access to
the latest technology and, therefore, access to
city government, public services, educa�on, and
safety.

Infrastructure. $342M investment of public funds
for citywide infrastructure improvements
($250M), downtown ($44M), and historic train
depot ($30M).

Good infrastructure supports economic growth
by raising produc�vity levels, reducing costs,
expanding trade, and connec�ng people and
business with opportuni�es. Infrastructure
investment should be resilient, sustainable, and
inclusive to provide beneﬁts to the greatest
number of people.

Social Environment Signiﬁcance
Quality of Place. Fresno is a full-service city, e.g.,
jobs, shopping, entertainment and cultural
venues, health care, parks and recrea�on.

Residents and businesses can access key essen�al
services without long distance travel. Contributes
to the city’s “sense of place” that is also
important for atrac�ng talent.

Community Engagement. Abundant and diverse
neighborhood, social jus�ce, and economic
development groups and associa�ons.

Business and residents ac�vely engage in
discussions about community issues and projects
demonstra�ng their strong interest and
commitment to the health and vitality of the city.

Neighborhoods. The city boasts an historic
downtown and several unique neighborhoods
throughout the city.

Interes�ng and dis�nct neighborhoods and
commercial centers (downtown, Chinatown, etc.)
provide diverse housing and shopping choices,
cultural experiences, and visitor des�na�ons.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 5 Popula�on Growth. Fresno County and the city
have similar growth trends (historic) and
projec�ons to 2040—with slow popula�on
growth, consistently rising at an average annual
rate of 1%.

Steady popula�on growth suggests a strong
consumer demand market and is encouraging to
employers considering a future workforce.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 6 Challenges
Challenges are factors that detract from a community’s economic development compe��veness. They constrict or limit a community from reaching its desired goals and economic success. Below is a discussion of the City of Fresno’s challenges and their signiﬁcance to economic development.

Economic Environment Signiﬁcance
Job Growth. Overall, job growth in Fresno is
expected to be 5.9% (2022-2030). However, some
traded sector industries are likely to see a decline
due to increased use of technology (for example,
manufacturing, warehouse and distribu�on).

Higher levels of employment lead to healthy
economic growth. Local ﬁrms tend to employ
more workers and job growth creates earnings
which in turn creates demand. The increased use
of technology may require new skills and training
programs.

Wages. Overall, wages in Fresno have increased
from 2019 to 2023 but some occupa�ons are
faring beter than others. This may be due in part
to low unemployment rates, job growth and a
slow growing regional labor force.

Unfortunately, the cost of living has also
increased, and inﬂa�on is rising faster than most
of the previous 40 years. These two factors
equate to a loss of income in terms of purchasing
power impac�ng residents’ quality of life.

Wage increases can have both posi�ve and
nega�ve eﬀects on economic growth, depending
on the context and factors that cause it. In
general wage increases can lead to higher
produc�vity and mo�va�on of workers, which
can increase business proﬁts. However, increased
wages can also be the result of cost-of-living
increases and inﬂa�on, that can exert downward
pressure on the economy.

Image. Fresno’s internal and external image is
maligned. Fresno is the ﬁ�h largest city in the
state, and yet some residents and stakeholders
speak cri�cally of the city and perceive Fresno as
a small insular town.

Externally, the city is not “top-of-mind” when it
comes to business/industry considering a
compe��ve business loca�on.

Whether real or perceived, an unfavorable image
or reputa�on is a challenge to successful
economic development and takes a rigorous and
collabora�ve eﬀort to overcome that should
address:
 The messages we tell ourselves about Fresno
(internal communications)
 The messages we tell others about Fresno
(external communications)
Development Process. A reputa�on for a
cumbersome and uncertain planning, permi�ng
and development process.

Whether real or perceived, a slow or
unpredictable development process creates a
hardship for business development, no mater
the reason (e.g. staﬃng shortages, legal
challenges, lack of streamline permi�ng, etc.).

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 7 Development Cost. Equitable assessment and
mi�ga�on of business/industrial development
impacts in neighborhoods has become
conten�ous in the city, with mul�ple lawsuits and
CEQA appeals.

To help assess and eliminate environmental
impacts of development, especially in low income
and communi�es of color, the city adopted a
Community Beneﬁt Fund (CBF – North Point and
South Central). CBF funds can be used to pay for
measures such as air ﬁltra�on systems, dual
paned windows, parks, job training programs,
and job fairs near the impact area. Businesses
loca�ng or expanding in CBF neighborhoods pay
into the fund (Amazon paid $300,000).

Added fees increase business opera�ng costs and
add to the city’s risk of losing the business
loca�on/expansion to a less costly compe��ve
site. More importantly, the added “uncertainty”
that CEQA appeals and lawsuits present increase
the likelihood that the business/industry will
choose not to par�cipate/contribute or may be
unwilling to wait for the challenge/appeal process
to play out and seek an alterna�ve loca�on.

Talent Pipeline. The source of future workers
(popula�on aged 0 to 19) has been slow. Growth
in the popula�on considered Prime Workers
(aged 20 to 39) is leveling oﬀ. Experienced
Workers (aged 40 to 59) and Re�ring Soon (aged
60 to 75) are increasing at a faster pace.

Many communi�es in California are facing a
forecasted “enrollment cliﬀ” in K-12 educa�on,
which has implica�on for regional labor markets.

For Fresno County, the cliﬀ is delayed un�l the
2025-26 academic year and the popula�on
changes to an older popula�on and lower birth
rates coincide to drop the K-12 levels toward the
2031-32 academic year. These changes have
regional labor-force eﬀects on Fresno as a city
economy, as Fresno County (and Madera, Tulare
and Kings coun�es) all provide labor to Fresno’s
employers.

Slow popula�on growth and declining school
enrollment indicates a limited labor pool and
talent pipeline, which is a red ﬂag for new
business/industry and expanding businesses.

Educa�onal Atainment. Share of the popula�on
with four-year degrees is improving, but s�ll lags
behind the state.

Enrollment is declining in the State Center District
(the community college district that includes
Fresno City College). This is occurring throughout
the state and na�on.

The educa�on level of residents, especially those
over 25 years old, helps employers understand
the mix of skills in the regional workforce and
contributes to decision making regarding a
loca�on or expansion decision.

Poten�al new employers will judge the city’s
commitment to educa�on by both the physical
assets and academic achievement. Employers
expect skills training, programs, and pathways to
be in place.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 8 Physical Environment Signiﬁcance
Sites and Buildings. The city has a very limited
inventory of sites for commercial and industrial
development to support new business
investment or the expansion of exis�ng
business/industry. Areas that are desirable or
have been iden�ﬁed for job-crea�ng
development face long-term obstacles to be
market ready, e.g. proper zoning, inadequate
infrastructure, absence of and cost to acquire
u�lity services, neighborhood resistance,
interested developers, etc.

Lack of available and market-ready land and
buildings makes the city less compe��ve with
communi�es that have ready-for-market
proper�es to support local expansions and new
business and industry.

Recrea�onal Facili�es. Several exis�ng facili�es
that atract visitors and serve residents are
deteriora�ng due to a lack of investment and
deferred maintenance. For example, the
conven�on center, regional sports park and
Woodward Park BMX track have not received
signiﬁcant updates in over ten years.

Old and declining visitor and recrea�onal facili�es
impacts residents’ quality of life, the ability to
atract and retain popula�on and workers. The
visitor market is also highly impacted especially in
a highly compe��ve state like California where
there is an abundance of places to visit.

Broadband. The city has plans to improve access
to broadband, but currently there is limited
access, especially for residents and businesses in
less aﬄuent neighborhoods. Also, many residents
lack the digital literacy to access on-line public
informa�on and services (i.e. bus schedules,
forms, documents, public mee�ngs, etc.).

Broadband is an essen�al service for accessing
informa�on and services for both business and
personal use. Digital literacy is increasingly
important to access all services (public and
private) and employment.

Infrastructure. There has been a lack of public
investment (deferred maintenance) to maintain
and upgrade essen�al infrastructure and services.

Residents and businesses are vulnerable to
impacts associated with service disrup�ons and
failures, and safety issues (e.g. potholes, Public
Safety Radio System).

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 9 Public Transporta�on. The city’s Fresno Area
Express (FAX) bus transporta�on system oﬀers 18
ﬁxed-route bus lines, Handy Ride Paratransit
services, the “Q” which is a Rapid Transit line
providing express service to speciﬁc loca�ons,
and the Fresno Hop which is a free trolley service
opera�ng Thursday through Saturday to connect
CSU Fresno, Campus Pointe, and Fresno City
College to several Fresno neighborhoods.

Obstacles to ridership include:
 Frequency and connection: The city is
addressing this need by adding more lines
and adding/expanding the express service.
 Potential riders’ lack of experience: The city
started ramping up social media (facebook,
instagram, etc.) to help familiarize potential
users in how to use the bus system.

Full-service aﬀordable and convenient public
transporta�on is an essen�al service to provide
workers access to employment, educa�on and
essen�al services (medical, shopping,
professional, etc.).

Social Environment Signiﬁcance
Housing. The City’s Housing Element (2017-2023
planning horizon) shows that 1) 40% of
homeowners are overpaying for housing; 2) 65%
of renters overpaying for housing; 3) many
residents live in overcrowded housing; 4) over
23,000 addi�onal housing units needed.

In response, the city, in partnership with the
other ci�es in Fresno County, is preparing a mul�-
jurisdic�onal housing element that will cover a
planning period of December 2023 through
December 2031. This eﬀort will provide an
opportunity for countywide housing issues and
needs to be more eﬀec�vely addressed at the
regional level rather than only at the local level.

Lack of aﬀordable housing is a constraint to
employment growth and expansion of the labor
pool. A �ght housing market also leads to higher
home and rents and forces workers to commute
longer distances or leave the workforce.

Unhoused Popula�on. While the city has
invested in crea�ve programs and is making
progress, according to the Fresno Madera
Con�nuum of Care (FMCoC) Point in Time (PIT)
Count, 4,493 persons were experiencing
homelessness at the �me of the count, (01-24-
2023); a 7% increase from 2022.

A growing popula�on of unhoused residents
could lead to job losses and business closures due
to safety and security concerns.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 10 Childcare. The local need for childcare is unmet.

Only 23% of children (aged 0-12) of working
families are provided with child care services,
leaving 77% of working families unserved. Only
15% of infants and toddlers of working families
have access to care.

Lack of accessible and aﬀordable childcare limits
employment and educa�onal opportuni�es for
some residents, further constric�ng the pool of
available labor.

Poverty. The poverty rate in Fresno has hovered
around 25% to 30% (2011 to 2021), typically
three percentage points above the county rate
and 12 to 13 points higher than the state average.

Poverty reduces the level of aggregate demand in
the economy, making it poorer and typically
requires government to ins�tute enhanced
welfare programs, leading to increased
government spending.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 11 Threats
Threats are external factors that detract from a community’s economic development compe��veness, or put a community or its economy at risk. While these factors are o�en beyond the community’s direct control, jurisdic�ons that want to be compe��ve put in place programs or have con�ngency plans to mi�gate or respond to threats.

Fortunately, Fresno County and the other par�cipa�ng jurisdic�ons (including the City of Fresno) developed a mul� jurisdic�onal hazard mi�ga�on plan to make the region less vulnerable to future iden�ﬁed hazards.

External Challenges (Threats) Signiﬁcance
State and federal regulatory environment, i.e.
 Burden placed on small businesses and fast-
food operations by the increased minimum
wage.
 Proposed SB531 will change where sales tax
receipts are collected and will impact City’s
revenue stream.
 Potential impact on local jurisdictions’
revenue stream due to the State budget
shortfall
U�lity (gas and electric) disrup�ons caused by
wildﬁres and other natural disasters
Long-term sustainability of water supply
Sustained improvement in air quality
Natural and weather-related disasters
Health-related disasters
Business seeking a loca�on for new or expanding
opera�ons s�ve to eliminate or at lease reduce
risk—ﬁnancial, opera�onal, etc.

Each of these factors presents a poten�al risk to a
business’ ability to be successful.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix A – S.W.O.T. Page 12 Opportunities
Opportuni�es refer to factors that oﬀer a poten�al compe��ve advantage and contribute to goal and objec�ve achievement. Below is a discussion of the City of Fresno’s opportuni�es and signiﬁcance to economic development.

Opportunities Signiﬁcance
Development of ten Economic Centers that
support short- and long-term industrial,
commercial, entrepreneurial and small business
investment and job crea�on.

Funding and comple�on of cri�cal infrastructure
projects that support economic growth in the
Economic Centers.

The iden�ﬁed economic centers oﬀer the most
promising short- and long-term opportunity for
entrepreneurial, business, and industry growth
with land en�tlements and infrastructure in place
for business development.

A robust organiza�onal ecosystem that can be
relied upon to lead, support, and implement
priority ini�a�ves.

Numerous government, nonproﬁt, and
community organiza�ons exist in Fresno. Greater
coordina�on and collabora�on among these
en��es could signiﬁcantly increase their socio-
economic impacts.

Fresno’s growing popula�on and strong
entrepreneurial spirit could support
entrepreneurial and small business growth
adding a more diverse mix of businesses,
including industry oﬀering higher wages.

Increasing the educa�onal atainment and skill
level of the workforce will signiﬁcantly impact the
number and types of businesses atracted to the
city.

Leadership and par�cipa�on in the Central San
Joaquin Valley Community Economic Resilience
Fund (CERF) to support CEDS goals.

Regional eﬀorts, like the CERF, can signiﬁcantly
leverage the City’s eﬀorts to achieve CEDS goals.

APPENDIX B: Economic Conditions
Introduc�on .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Economic Environment ................................................................................................................................. 2 Gross Regional Product (GRP) .................................................................................................................. 2 Labor Force and Employment .................................................................................................................. 8 Industry Mix ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Physical Environment .................................................................................................................................. 17 Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................................... 17 Sites and Building ................................................................................................................................... 18 Natural Disasters .................................................................................................................................... 18 Housing .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Social Environment ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Popula�on .............................................................................................................................................. 24 Income and Poverty ............................................................................................................................... 26 Health and Safety ................................................................................................................................... 28

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Gross Regional Product by Major Industry Group ......................................................................... 3 Figure 2: GRP Drivers .................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 3: Taxable Sales .................................................................................................................................. 4 Figure 4: Percentage Change in Taxable Sales ............................................................................................... 5 Figure 5: Transient Occupancy Tax ................................................................................................................ 6 Figure 6: Tourism Spending ........................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 7: Average Daily Rate and Occupancy Rate ........................................................................................ 7 Figure 8: Labor Force Comparisons ............................................................................................................... 8 Figure 9: Employment Comparisons ............................................................................................................. 9 Figure 10: Unemployment Rate Comparisons .............................................................................................. 9 Figure 11: Talent Pipeline Trend .................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 12: Educa�onal Atainment for Residents ........................................................................................ 11 Figure 13: Career and Technical Educa�on ................................................................................................. 12 Figure 14: K-12 Atendance Levels .............................................................................................................. 12 Figure 15: City of Fresno Industry Mix ........................................................................................................ 13 Figure 16: Wage Growth ............................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 17: Jobs Forecast .............................................................................................................................. 15 Figure 18. Historic Job Growth by Industry Sector...................................................................................... 15 Figure 19. Summary Economic Impacts of Retail vs. Manufacturing Jobs .................................................. 16 Figure 20: Acres Burned by Wildﬁres .......................................................................................................... 18 Figure 21: Severity of Drought Condi�ons .................................................................................................. 19 Figure 22: Number of "Good Air Days" ....................................................................................................... 20 Figure 23: Median Home Price Comparisons .............................................................................................. 21 Figure 24: Forecast for Change in Median Home Price ............................................................................... 21 Figure 25. Median Rental Prices.................................................................................................................. 22 Figure 26: Share of Single-Family Homes .................................................................................................... 22 Figure 27: Housing Tenure .......................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 28: Housing Burden .......................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 29: Popula�on and Forecasts ........................................................................................................... 24 Figure 30: Age Mix of Popula�on ................................................................................................................ 25 Figure 31: Ethnic Mix of Popula�on ............................................................................................................ 25 Figure 32: Median Household Income ........................................................................................................ 26 Figure 33: Poverty Rate ............................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 34: Sources of Income ...................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 35: Cost of Living .............................................................................................................................. 27 Figure 36: Community Resilience Es�mates ............................................................................................... 28 Figure 37: Health Insurance Coverage ........................................................................................................ 28 City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 1

INTRODUCTION
A community’s economic, physical, and social environments are connected and inﬂuence each other. For example, (1) infrastructure (streets, u�li�es, etc.) and housing are reﬂec�ons of Fresno’s “physical” environment; (2) popula�on dynamics are reﬂec�ons of Fresno’s social environment. Both the physical and popula�on characteris�cs inﬂuence and deﬁne the city’s economic environment, opportuni�es, and success.

The primary goal of the Fresno CEDS is to achieve a balance among the economic, physical and social environments to create and sustain a socio economically healthy community. The challenges and opportuni�es to achieving this balance can be seen in the data describing these three environments.

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
• Revenue, Cost of Living
• Industry Sectors, Job Growth
• Talent Pipeline, Wages

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Infrastructure, Transporta�on
• Housing Mix
• Commercial Sites and Buildings

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
• Popula�on and Diversity
• Income, Poverty
• Support Services, Arts and Culture

Consider these data with the following concerns or ques�ons:
• Infrastructure and housing: do these assets exist to support economic development? • Gross regional product (GRP): what industries drive the local economy? • Workforce and popula�on: what are the demographics and commu�ng paterns of the local popula�on, what is the job and industry mix to support the local workforce? Combined, these data describe the region’s economic, physical and social environments in terms of how well they support economic development. Providing a brief history, regional comparisons and forecasts when data are available give a contextual and planning viewpoint on the regional economy.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 2

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
This sec�on presents data trends, comparisons and forecasts on the economic elements of Fresno’s and the region’s environment.

Gross Regional Product (GRP)
Three groups of industries comprise a local economy.

First are goods-producing industries, or those that
generate income from outside the local area as a
primary marketplace. Local farms, construc�on and
manufacturing do have local and regional markets, but
their primary market is generally outside the area. Local serving industries are primarily retail and service jobs, employ all educa�ons and age levels, and pay a wide
breadth of wages. Visitor serving industries are a mix of local serving (restaurants, hotels, atrac�ons, etc.)
employers that also serve markets outside the local area.

Figure 1 provides a history of gross regional product for Fresno as a city economy and Fresno County since 2011.

Fresno was between 52% and 55% of the county economy since 2011. Fresno’s economy is dominated by government, agriculture, healthcare, and real-estate related industries. Between 2011 and 2021, Fresno experienced es�mated gross regional product growth of approximately 52.4%, where Fresno County grew by 46.6%. In contrast, California’s economy grew by 39.2% and the US economy grew by

25.5%.

Figure 2 presents this same data grouped into the three “drivers” as discussed above and provides the jobs associated with the incomes generated by the driver-group industries.

Goods-producing industries grew in terms of the dollar value a�er inﬂa�on and in terms of the contribu�on to the local economy. The growth of goods-producing industries means that Fresno is shi�ing to a higher mul�plier, broader based economy.

The local serving part of the economy is normally the largest share of a community’s economy. As expected, this sector grew in Fresno and remains robust.

The visitor serving por�on of the economy declined in terms of GRP and its propor�on of the local economy. This can be atributed to the pandemic and the slower re-opening of the tourism industry sector.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 3 Figure 1: Gross Regional Product by Major Industry Group, 2011, 2020 and 2021, Thousands of Current Dollars (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau and IMPLAN, 2023 data)

CITY OF FRESNO FRESNO COUNTY
2011 2020 2021 2011 2020 2021
TOTALS
($ THOUSANDS)

$22,306,734

$30,879,187

$32,129,933

$34,096,276

$46,980,383

$51,719,476
Agriculture, forestry,
ﬁshing and hun�ng $1,134,334 $1,010,136 $1,114,402 $4,197,362 $4,209,235 $4,829,904 Mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extrac�on $57,397 $25,105
$48,579 $486,869 $191,138 $295,767
U�li�es $1,025,694 $833,160 $663,385 $1,083,189 $1,137,624 $1,143,767 Construc�on $686,244 $1,554,028 $1,783,746 $993,458 $2,526,281 $2,786,706 Manufacturing $1,413,778 $1,964,602 $2,233,561 $2,232,253 $3,064,132 $3,234,526 Wholesale trade $1,721,370 $2,372,577 $2,852,085 $1,995,182 $2,934,031 $3,161,833 Retail trade $1,187,247 $1,702,940 $1,853,417 $2,272,182 $3,519,820 $4,053,896 Transporta�on &
warehousing $730,657 $1,208,921
$1,431,425 $979,761 $1,954,380 $2,406,472
Informa�on $509,421 $636,053 $717,437 $874,855 $1,185,565 $1,298,408 Finance and insurance $1,165,025 $1,572,490 $1,505,418 $1,315,201 $1,623,458 $1,758,154 Real estate & rental
and leasing $3,297,235 $4,409,129 $3,859,578 $4,514,028 $5,541,032 $6,027,727 Professional, scien�ﬁc,
and technical services $1,282,862 $1,623,834
$961,941 $1,137,693 $1,549,104 $1,658,519
Management of
companies $132,094 $218,880
$215,788 $259,755 $273,490 $334,223
Admin. support; waste
mgmt. and remedia�on $731,008 $1,121,965 $1,228,003 $856,696 $1,286,641 $1,417,428 Educa�onal services $158,561 $148,419 $157,376 $232,631 $207,197 $227,845 Health care & social
assistance $2,279,666 $3,778,389 $4,258,821 $2,985,753 $5,191,073 $5,661,671 Arts, entertainment,
and recrea�on $54,541 $97,439
$82,763 $110,839 $109,664 $156,055
Accommoda�on and
food services $618,858 $1,093,912
$1,224,186 $760,488 $1,164,318 $1,494,799
Other services (except
government) $822,877 $1,076,533
$1,189,024 $819,120 $1,123,667 $1,213,436
Government & gov.
enterprises $3,297,865 $4,430,675 $4,748,998 $5,988,961 $8,188,533 $8,558,340

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 4 Figure 2: GRP Drivers, City of Fresno, 2011, 2020 and 2021, Number of Workers and Current Dollars (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau and IMPLAN)
GRP DRIVERS 2011 2019 2021 AVERAGE ANNUAL
CHANGE (2011-21)
Goods-Producing $4,317,447,440 $5,387,031,543 $6,771,036,900 5.2% Local Serving $17,012,788,755 $24,634,905,457 $24,447,646,100 4.0% Visitor-Serving $976,500,000 $857,250,000 $911,250,000 -0.6% Total $22,306,736,195 $30,879,187,000 $32,129,933,000 4.0% JOBS
Goods-Producing 23,305 28,944 30,063 2.9%
Local Serving 165,158 195,827 204,611 2.4%
Visitor-Serving 8,925 11,430 10,193 1.4%
Total 197,388 236,201 244,867 2.4%

Taxable Sales
Figure 3 shows the es�mated levels of taxable sales as reported by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administra�on. The City of Fresno has been consistently more than 50% (closer to 55 since 2020 on average) of Fresno County’s total, with the annual changes growing a bit faster than the county levels.

One caveat is that these are not “real” taxable sales, as they are current dollars and thus may be rising not because of more produc�vity by business that are selling taxable items but due to price increases.

Figure 3: Taxable Sales, 2015-2022, Annual Totals, Fresno City and Fresno County, Fresno as % of County Total, Current Dollars (Source: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, CDTFA) YEAR FRESNO CITY FRESNO COUNTY % OF
COUNTY
% CHANGE
FRESNO
% CHANGE
COUNTY
2015 $7,499,066,083 $14,189,429,105 52.8%
2016 $7,699,944,229 $14,184,096,842 54.3% 2.7% 0.0%
2017 $7,934,752,502 $14,755,750,695 53.8% 3.0% 4.0%
2018 $8,270,218,828 $15,386,255,626 53.8% 4.2% 4.3%
2019 $8,702,723,377 $16,218,883,236 53.7% 5.2% 5.4%
2020 $8,389,187,913 $17,078,806,001 49.1% -3.6% 5.3%
2021 $12,810,755,342 $22,960,963,038 55.8% 52.7% 34.4%
2022 $13,318,421,534 $24,228,245,429 55.0% 4.0% 5.5%

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 5 Figure 4 provides the changes by major vendor categories. Across the board there has been some decline a�er a robust 2021 for many retailers. Food services and drinking places (bars and restaurants) picked up because the economy re-opened in full. The comeback in bars and restaurants, and gas sta�ons is driven by 1) people driving more, there is a return to mee�ng in person, visitor travel is returning; and 2) increase in gas prices.

The “all other” category includes the other places where retail happens (e.g., convenience stores and ﬁtness centers that have a retail point of sale). This category experienced a nice comeback because many of those ﬁnal re-openings happened over the last 12 to 18 months and retail picked up in those outlets.

Figure 4: Percentage (%) Change in Taxable Sales by Category, City of Fresno, 2021 Q1 and 2022 Q1 to 2023 Q1, Current Dollars (Source: CDTFA)

Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and Travel Data
A broader link to taxable sales is the ﬂow of visitors to Fresno. Figure 5 provides a look at transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue for the City of Fresno based on overnight stays in the city. The 2010 to 2019 period was a long growth phase in which the region and the state experienced more people visi�ng.

With the onset of COVID, the next two years took a sharp decline and lingered for about another 12 months and then started to pick up. This is an indica�on of how resilient Fresno has been in terms of its ability to bring people back to Fresno and back to staying overnight. Overnight stays are a cri�cal factor for local hoteliers and the concentric circles of smaller businesses that serve visitors. Pu�ng people in hotel rooms greatly accelerates their spending.
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%
Building
Material and
Garden
Equipment
and Supplies
Dealers
Clothing and
Clothing
Accessories
Stores
Food and
Beverage
Stores
Food Services
and Drinking
Places
Gasoline
Stations
General
Merchandise
Stores
Home
Furnishings
and Appliance
Stores
Motor
Vehicle and
Parts Dealers
Other Retail
Group
All Other
Outlets
2021-23 2022-23
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 6 Figure 5: Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Data and TOT Per Resident, 2010-2022, City of Fresno (Sources: City of Fresno and California Department of Finance)

Visitor Spending
Figure 6 is a recent es�mate at the county level of visitor spending since 2011 and adjusted for inﬂa�on.

Similar to other taxable sales, hotel stays and other taxable sales from tourism are aﬀected not just by more visitors but by higher prices. No�ce the spending and TOT have similar trends since 2011.

Figure 6: Tourism Spending, Fresno County, 2011 to 2022, Total Spending and Major Categories, Millions of Dollars (Sources:

Dean Runyan Associates and CalTrans)

$0
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
$14,000,000
$16,000,000
$18,000,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 TOT (Current Dollars), City of Fresno
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Millions of Dollars
2023 Dollars Visitor Spending Visitor Spending (Current Dollars) City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 7 A sta�s�c related to TOT is the average daily rate (ADR) charged by hoteliers and the occupancy rate (what percentage of oﬀered rooms were occupied that month). The product of these two numbers is what is known as RevPAR, or revenue per available room, the taxable sale on which TOT is based.

As shown in Figure 7, the ADR increased in 2022 and 2023 from the previous trend, which revolved around $100 per night from January 2017 to the end of 2021. Inﬂa�on is evident again. With litle change in occupancy, the price change suggests a combina�on of more visitors to Fresno and higher costs passed on to overnight visitors.

Figure 7: Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Occupancy Rate, City of Fresno, 2017 – 2023 (Sources: Smith Travel Research and City of Fresno)

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
Jan-2017
Apr-2017
Jul-2017
Oct-2017
Jan-2018
Apr-2018
Jul-2018
Oct-2018
Jan-2019
Apr-2019
Jul-2019
Oct-2019
Jan-2020
Apr-2020
Jul-2020
Oct-2020
Jan-2021
Apr-2021
Jul-2021
Oct-2021
Jan-2022
Apr-2022
Jul-2022
Oct-2022
Jan-2023
Apr-2023
Jul-2023
ADR ($) Occupancy (%)
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 8 Labor Force and Employment
Changes in the labor force reﬂect popula�on changes and housing occupancy characteris�cs (number and type of housing units occupied by families that provide workers to the local economy and students to schools). To sustain a workforce that meets the demands of a growing economy, new workforce entrants are needed (talent pipeline). Without new entrants into the workforce (youth and young adults), hiring becomes more diﬃcult in personal services industries, construc�on, agriculture, retail, and restaurants.

Na�onally, labor force levels were aﬀected by the pandemic in terms of both changes in the want-to- work, the incen�ves to work, and popula�on shi�s. The vola�lity of Fresno as a city exceeded that of Fresno County overall.

Fresno County was among the fastest growth labor markets in California as the economy re-opened a�er the pandemic shutdown and was one of the earliest coun�es to emerge from the pandemic and see jobs growth versus pre-pandemic levels. Fresno recovered very well and the number of people who are available for work has grown above pre-pandemic levels, in contrast to the state of California. This suggests that working people have moved to Fresno and are looking for work or have re-joined the labor force.

At the same �me the labor force (Figure 8) was slowly evolving to return the number of available workers to pre-pandemic levels. Figure 10 shows that Fresno as a city economy and Fresno County have closed the unemployment gap with the state average, but both remain above the state average to June 2023 from January 2010 on a monthly, seasonally adjusted basis.

Figure 9 shows the evolu�on of jobs in Fresno (city and county). Smooth growth, sharp cut, then recovery and expansion. The slight downturn (June 2023) is an indica�on of the na�onal economy context and trying to slow the economy down.

Figure 8: Labor Force Comparisons, Fresno City to Fresno County, 2010 to 2023, Monthly, Number of Workers that are Residents of Fresno and Fresno County (Source: California EDD)

420,000
430,000
440,000
450,000
460,000
470,000
220,000
225,000
230,000
235,000
240,000
245,000
Jan-10
Aug-10
Mar-11
Oct-11
May-12
Dec-12
Jul-13
Feb-14
Sep-14
Apr-15
Nov-15
Jun-16
Jan-17
Aug-17
Mar-18
Oct-18
May-19
Dec-19
Jul-20
Feb-21
Sep-21
Apr-22
Nov-22
Jun-23
Fresno County
Fresno - City
Fresno City Fresno County
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 9 Figure 9: Employment Comparisons, Fresno City to Fresno County, 2010 to 2023, Monthly, Number of Workers who are Residents of Fresno and Fresno County (Source: California EDD)

Figure 10: Unemployment Rate Comparisons, Fresno, Fresno County and California, 2010 to 2023, Percent (%) of Labor Force, Seasonally Adjusted (Source: California EDD)

Commute Pattern
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a good majority (73.9%) of City of Fresno employed residents aged 16+ work in the city. Most of the remaining workers are employed within the county or nearby ci�es of Clovis, Madera, or Sanger. The mean travel �me is just 22 minutes.

Talent Pipeline
The source of the future workforce (Talent Pipeline, popula�on age zero to 19) has seen small, slow growth. This is a situa�on seen in many communi�es around the na�on. In fact, it is not uncommon to see actual and projected declines in this age group. Fortunately for Fresno employers this category shows some growth and there is a substan�al college student popula�on in the region that can and should be atracted to employment in Fresno.
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
170,000
180,000
190,000
200,000
210,000
220,000
230,000
240,000
Jan-10
Aug-10
Mar-11
Oct-11
May-12
Dec-12
Jul-13
Feb-14
Sep-14
Apr-15
Nov-15
Jun-16
Jan-17
Aug-17
Mar-18
Oct-18
May-19
Dec-19
Jul-20
Feb-21
Sep-21
Apr-22
Nov-22
Jun-23
Fresno County
Fresno - City
Fresno City Fresno County

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%
Jan-10
Jul-10
Jan-11
Jul-11
Jan-12
Jul-12
Jan-13
Jul-13
Jan-14
Jul-14
Jan-15
Jul-15
Jan-16
Jul-16
Jan-17
Jul-17
Jan-18
Jul-18
Jan-19
Jul-19
Jan-20
Jul-20
Jan-21
Jul-21
Jan-22
Jul-22
Jan-23
Jul-23
Unemployment Rate
California Fresno City Fresno County
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 10 Prime Workers (age 20 to 39) are those who recently entered the labor force (some may be college and university graduates. In Fresno the percentage of Prime Workers has grown over the last few years and is predicted to con�nue to grow through 2050.

The two older popula�on categories (ages 40 to 59 and 60 to 75) are growing at a faster rate than the incoming workers. This can put pressure on employers’ ability to replace re�ring workers and on a community’s ability to support an older, re�red popula�on.

Educational Attainment
Overall, the educa�onal atainment of the Fresno’s popula�on aged 25+ is improving. From 2011 to 2021 the share of popula�on with a Bachelor or Graduate degree went from 20% to nearly 34%.

On the other end of the atainment scale, those with a high school or less educa�onal level are also improving. In 2011, these groups accounted for 49% of the popula�on. In 2021 this improved to just 43% of the popula�on.

There was a slight increase, about two percentage points, in those with less than a four-year degree (e.g., associate degree and some college). Unfortunately, training programs that are cer�ﬁcate-based or some other form of valida�ng comple�on are not reﬂected in this data on degree atainment and, therefore, the skills sets may be under-represented. Data on Career Technical Educa�on (CTE) completers is presented in the following sec�on.

Figure 11: Talent Pipeline Trend in Fresno County. California Department of Finance, Report P-2B: Population Projections by Individual Year of Age, 2010-2060
0 50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
Talent Pipeline
(Age 0-19)
Prime Workers
(Age 20-30)
Experienced Workers
(Age 40-59)
Retiring Soon
(Age 60-75)
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

21.7%

28.4%

23.6%

6.9%
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 11

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
CA Fresno County Fresno
2011 Educational Attainment
Graduate or professional degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Some college, no degree
High school graduate (includes equivalency)
9th to 12th grade, no diploma
Less than 9th grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
CA Fresno County Fresno
2021 Educational Attainment
Graduate or professional degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Some college, no degree
High school graduate (includes equivalency)
9th to 12th grade, no diploma
Less than 9th grade
Figure 12: Educational Attainment for Residents, % of Total Population over 25 Years of Age, 2011 and 2021, City of Fresno, Fresno County and California Statewide (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey) City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 12 Career Technical Education
Declining enrollment in higher educa�on has been experienced throughout the state and is occurring in the State Center District which includes Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College, and Reedley College. Fortunately, the District has fared a litle beter on enrollments than the state overall. While there are fewer students enrolling, the number of earned cer�ﬁca�ons is posi�ve.

Figure 13: Career and Technical Education performance. (Source: LaunchBoard, statewide data system supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Oﬃce and hosted by Cal-PASS Plus)

STRONG WORKFORCE
PROGRAM ENROLLMENTS 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 PERCENT CHANGE 2017-28 TO 2020-21
Statewide 1,015,923 1,014,576 1,008,154 901,435 838,713 -17.4% State Center District 28,730 29,175 29,581 27,125 25,348 -11.7%

EARNED DEGREE

OR CERTIFICATE
Statewide 69,397 75,382 77,754 79,883 80,082 15.4%
State Center District 2,455 2,600 2,534 2,643 2,693 9.7% K-12 Attendance
Many communi�es in California are facing a forecasted “enrollment cliﬀ” in K-12 educa�on which has implica�ons for regional labor markets. The current popula�on forecast for California is an aging popula�on and a lower birth rate. The migra�on of people that come to Fresno is predicted to slow, those people are predicted to be older, and therefore, will have fewer children in school. The enrollment decline in Fresno is delayed un�l the 2025-26 academic year when the aging popula�on and lower birth rates coincide to drop the K-12 levels toward the 2031-32 academic year.

These changes will impact the regional labor force and Fresno as a city economy, as Fresno County (and Madera, Tulare and Kings coun�es) all provide labor to Fresno employers. These changes will also put more ﬁnancial pressure on school districts due to reduced funding.

Figure 14: K-12 Attendance Levels, Number of Students in Public Education, Fresno County and California, 2021-22 (Actual) to 2031-32 (Forecasted from 2022-23 forward) Academic Years (Source: California Department of Finance)

5,000,000
5,200,000
5,400,000
5,600,000
5,800,000
6,000,000
190,000
195,000
200,000
205,000
210,000
California (Number of
Students)
Fresno County (Number of
Students)
Fresno County California
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 13 Industry Mix
The City of Fresno economy is dominated by six industries, Government and public educa�on (Fresno State, Fresno City College, the K-12 educa�on system, all the state, federal, county, and city employees), Healthcare, Real Estate and Commercial Rentals, Wholesale, Manufacturing, and Professional Services (the more scien�ﬁc and technical jobs).

This is a nicely balanced economy. Construc�on and Manufacturing are rela�vely large. The city’s por�on of the manufacturing sector is on balance with the state’s which is about 11 to 12%). One might expect to see Agriculture be a larger part of the employment mix, but this is showing city employment. As you progress out in concentric circles and include the county, about 11% of jobs are in agriculture.

Wages
Due to low unemployment rates, jobs growth and a slowly growing regional labor force, wages in Fresno have increased. Unfortunately, so has the cost of living as measured by the state-level consumer price index (CPI) and array of na�onal price indices (including a na�onal version of the CPI). It is important to track not what the current wage workers are paid but the real or inﬂa�on-adjusted wage. This wage takes into considera�on the change in what employers oﬀer to pay workers and the change in inﬂa�on; when real wages rise, workers gain purchasing power or real growth to their income.

As Figure 16 shows, there was wage growth in inﬂa�on-adjusted terms since 2019, but not all occupa�ons in Fresno County experienced wage growth a�er inﬂa�on over that four-year stretch. Since 2022 (one-year change), healthcare and protec�ve services have seen more downward pressure than Gov &
Public Ed.
14%
Healthcare
12%
Real Estate
11%
Wholesale
8%
Manufacturing
7%
Prof.

Services
6%
Retail
6%
Construction
5%
Finance
4%
Warehouse,
Logistics
4%
Admin &
Waste Srvs
4%
Hotels &
Restaurants
4%
Agriculture
3% All Other
12%
Figure 15: City of Fresno industry mix, 2021 employment. (Source: Census Bureau and IMPLAN®) City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 14 other occupa�ons. These range from registered nurses to medical assistants and police oﬃcers and ﬁre professionals to security guards for shopping malls. In a �me where we have seen inﬂa�on rise faster than most of the previous 40 years, a loss of income in terms of purchasing power can reduce incen�ves to take oﬀered work and increase search �me for those that employ such occupa�ons.

Wages provide income for regional households and that becomes the basis of how broader economic impacts, like taxable sales, take place. Wage growth should lead to a larger spending capacity in the local economy and perhaps less retail leakage if new retailers come to Fresno seeking to take advantage of rising wages and thus rising spending levels. Rising taxable sales can also reﬂect how much tourism is changing for the local economy.

Figure 16: Wage Growth, Fresno County, 2019 and 2022 Compared to 2023 Wages, 2023 Dollars, By Occupational Sector (Source: California EDD and Bureau of Labor Statistics)

4.9%

16.3%
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%
2022-2023 2019-2023
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 15 Jobs Forecast
The forecast below is a status quo forecast as of 2022 for Fresno to 2030 for jobs growth in major industries. Some of the transporta�on and warehousing industry’s expected job loss from 2022 to 2030 can be atributed to an increased use of technology and normaliza�on a�er the pandemic employment increase (no�ce the change from 2016 to 2022).

Figure 17: Jobs Forecast by Industry, Fresno, 2011–2022 (Actual) and 2030 Forecasted (Sources: Census Bureau, IMPLAN®, California EDD)
INDUSTRY 2011 2016 2019 2022 2030
%
CHANGE
2022-30
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hun�ng 1,793 2,594 2,189 2,269 2,245 -1.1% Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extrac�on 23 7 3 2 2 0.0% U�li�es 1,333 1,278 1,410 1,917 2,200 14.8%
Construc�on 6,971 10,105 12,176 13,572 14,200 4.6%
Manufacturing 13,185 13,604 13,166 13,600 13,572 -0.2%
Wholesale Trade 8,466 8,650 8,661 9,557 10,000 4.6%
Retail Trade 20,240 23,157 23,267 24,355 25,000 2.6%
Transporta�on and Warehousing 5,882 6,368 9,187 10,654 10,465 -1.8% Informa�on 3,063 3,389 2,940 3,143 3,026 -3.7%
Finance and Insurance 6,938 7,428 7,942 8,304 7,829 -5.7% Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 3,347 3,638 3,757 4,067 3,822 -6.0% Professional, Scien�ﬁc, and Technical Services 8,285 8,910 9,112 10,129 10,684 5.5% Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,907 2,085 2,413 2,893 3,169 9.5% Administra�on & Support, Waste
Management and Remedia�on 11,266 16,440 14,458 16,651 15,177 -8.9% Educa�onal Services 18,839 22,289 22,826 25,379 29,670 16.9% Health Care and Social Assistance 30,578 46,657 51,049 56,558 62,089 9.8% Arts, Entertainment, and Recrea�on 2,268 2,678 2,602 2,517 2,983 18.5% Accommoda�on and Food Services 17,102 20,286 21,730 22,191 27,226 22.7% Other Services (ex. Public Administra�on) 14,485 8,360 8,476 9,207 9,547 3.7% Public Administra�on 21,417 17,900 18,837 20,413 19,763 -3.2% Totals 197,388 225,823 236,201 257,378 272,669 5.9%

Figure 18. Historic Job Growth by Industry Sector

INDUSTRY
SECTOR 2011 2016 2019 2022 % CHANGE
2011-2022

EMPLOYMENT
SHARE 2022
Goods producing 141,698 161,531 166,487 183,016 3.22% 71% Local serving 36,320 41,328 45,382 49,654 3.54% 19%
Visitor serving 19,370 22,964 24,332 24,708 2.02% 10%
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 16

Economic Impact of Jobs in Retail vs. Manufacturing
Jobs growth in speciﬁc industries has diﬀering impacts on an economy. Goods producing industries tend to be stronger economic growth engines given that the condi�ons and infrastructure are in place to allow those businesses to grow and thrive. Growth in goods producing industries is a key aspect of economic development because these industries support other jobs locally, provide beter jobs, higher wages, an improved quality of life—all things that support housing markets, schools, local community organiza�ons and entrepreneurs.

The following data compare the eﬀects of 100 new jobs in two industries—manufacturing and retail—and the es�mated eﬀects on Fresno’s economy, business revenues, jobs supported, wages paid, and state and local tax receipts associated with the growth of incomes from those new jobs. Figure 19 presents a summary of the diﬀerence 100 manufacturing jobs make versus 100 retail jobs. Data for this compara�ve analysis is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and IMPLAN® which provides the model for economic impacts from industry growth.

Figure 19. Summary Economic Impacts of Retail vs. Manufacturing Jobs 100 RETAIL JOBS 100 MFG JOBS DIFFERENCE
Addi�onal jobs supported 40 123 207.5%
Direct wages paid $3,891,300 $7,577,300 94.7%
Addi�onal wages supported $1,828,400 $6,630,800 262.7%
Annual tax receipts generated $2,010,200 $4,036,800 100.8%

Impact of new Retail: When a new retailer comes to Fresno or expands to a new loca�on, there is a posi�ve impact on the local economy. Retail provides more consumer breadth and depth for local businesses and residents. But, because average wages are lower in retail than in manufacturing, the addi�onal jobs supported, overall business revenues and taxes are fewer than in manufacturing.

Impact of new Ma nufacturing: In most cases, the manufacturing sector creates larger mul�plier eﬀects than retail. In Fresno, this is true for all manufacturing, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and IMPLAN®, which provides the model for economic impacts from industry growth. Further, while manufacturing can support and spur more retail employment and businesses, it is less likely that new retail would lead to more manufacturing employment in Fresno.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 17

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
This sec�on presents data and informa�on on the physical environment of the city, county, and region.

The physical environment includes infrastructure, housing, sites and buildings for job-crea�ng industry, and the region’s suscep�bility to natural disasters.

Infrastructure
Downtown Redevelopment. Recently, the city acquired $342 million for infrastructure improvements that are expected to catalyze and accelerate new investment in residen�al and mixed use developments.

Funding is slated for two addi�onal parking structures, new intermodal transit center, sidewalks, streets ligh�ng, landscaping, stormwater facili�es, water distribu�on, wastewater improvements, and new public parks and green spaces.

Municipal Services. Even with this unprecedented public infrastructure investment, there remains a substan�al need for addi�onal public investment throughout the city to accommodate years of deferred maintenance, equipment purchases and needed upgrades to essen�al infrastructure and services.

Among the signiﬁcant capital improvements needed are:
• Water—water main replacements, increased groundwater storage capacity and improvements, well rehabilita�on, ﬁlter gates and ladders, irriga�on infrastructure • Waste—landﬁll regrading, sewer mains, pump improvements, pipeline covers, sewer rehab projects, odor control systems
• Transporta�on—street paving and improvements, roundabouts, intersec�on upgrades, ligh�ng, traﬃc signals and other traﬃc calming measures, pedestrian and bicycle safety and ameni�es, public transit improvements and ameni�es
• Other—sustainability, energy management, ADA compliance projects, neighborhood parks and recrea�on facility improvements
Broadband. About 84% of Fresno County households have access to broadband.1 This is inline with the state (90%) and the na�on (87%). The city’s IT Master Plan details con�nued improvements to broadband especially for residents and businesses in less aﬄuent neighborhoods. The city is also pursuing the expansion of small cell 5G sites to include disadvantaged communi�es, funding for last mile improvements, and ongoing upgrades and expansions including for citywide ﬁber.

Public Transporta�on. The city oﬀers 18 ﬁxed-route bus lines and Handy Ride Paratransit services with a modern clean and green ﬂeet of over 100 buses, with connec�ons to regional providers. The city also operates Fresno Area Express (FAX), an express bus service. More lines are needed to meet demand (frequency, connec�ons).

Parks. The city of Fresno adopted the Fresno Parks Master Plan a�er extensive community input. It shows that 80% of Fresno’s parks are in fair or poor condi�on and presented a plan for improvements. A

1 U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Es�mates as of 7/2023 City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 18 sales tax ini�a�ve, Measure P, was approved by Fresno voters to help fund new, maintain, and improve exis�ng neighborhood parks, facili�es, and trails.

Sites and Building
The city has a very limited inventory of sites for commercial and industrial development to support new business investment or the expansion of exis�ng business and industry. Areas that are desirable or have been iden�ﬁed for job-crea�ng development face long-term obstacles to be market ready, e.g. proper zoning, inadequate infrastructure, absence of and cost to acquire u�lity services, and neighborhood resistance to development. Opportuni�es are further discussed in Appendix D, Economic Centers.

Natural Disasters
Floods, wildﬁres, drought, earthquakes are a few of the natural hazards that may occur in the Fresno area. The city of Fresno along with other local, regional and state agencies partnered to create a hazard mi�ga�on plan to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and emergencies.

The city of Fresno oﬀers a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program to train ci�zens to be beter prepared to respond to emergency situa�ons in their home, workplace and community. CERT training is a 20-hour curriculum developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is designed to provide individuals with basic emergency response skills valuable in the ini�al hours or days a�er a disaster. Courses include disaster preparedness, ﬁre safety and suppression, medical triage and treatment, urban search and rescue, terrorism, and psychology.

Wildﬁre
Related to drought condi�ons are wildﬁres. Overall Fresno County is considered to have a moderate risk of wildﬁres. An excep�onal year was 2020 when over 400,000 acres burned in Fresno and Madera Coun�es. This was the result of two incidents—the Creek Fire (379,895 acres) which occurred in Fresno and Madera Coun�es, and the Mineral Fire (29,667) which was in Fresno County exclusively. According to riskfactor.com, the City of Fresno has only a moderate risk of wildﬁres over the next 30 years. 2 Figure 20: Acres burned by wildﬁres in Fresno County (Source: CalFire www.ﬁre.ca.gov/incidents) FIRES 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Acres Burned 408 517 414,081 283 246

2 Riskfactor.com is a tool created by the nonproﬁt First Street Founda�on to help agencies and individuals understand the risk and impact of natural disasters.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 19 Drought
California’s severe drought has been a decades-long safety and an economic problem for residents, farmers, ranchers, and any business that uses water as a primary input. The chart below shows the severity of drought condi�ons in Fresno County each year from 2013 to 2023. During the worst years (2014 to mid-2016) 100% of the land area in the county experienced excep�onal drought condi�ons.

Things improved un�l the later half of 2021 and 2022 when a majority of the land area was considered to be in excep�onal or extreme drought condi�ons.

Flooding
The Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (District) is a special-purpose district created in 1956 to acquire and construct facili�es for ﬂood control and for water conserva�on. The District develops plans with local public safety agencies to respond to the unlikely event of a dam failure and provides Clean Water Act compliance assistance to businesses and industries that are subject to these regula�ons.

The Fresno/Clovis urban area is protected by 3 dams and seven large deten�on basins, and is served by a system of more than 700 miles of pipeline and more than 150 stormwater reten�on basins and more than 20 stormwater basins developed for recrea�on use. According to the District, in the event of a worst-case scenario dam failure, the areas that could expect to be most impacted by ﬂooding are 1) areas east of Highway 168 (Shaw, Herndon, Shepard Avenues); 2) west of Highway 99 (Shields, Olive Avenues); and 3) any neighborhood or business touching Highway 41.

The control district has inunda�on maps online where one can look up loca�ons in Central Fresno County to see if the area would be aﬀected by poten�al ﬂooding.

Abnormal
Moderate
Severe
Extreme
Exceptional
Figure 21: Severity of drought conditions in Fresno County from 2013 to 2023; measured by the percentage of land aﬀected. (Source: National Integrated Drought Information System, www.drought.gov) City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 20 Air Quality
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollu�on Control District (District) includes Fresno County and seven other coun�es within the region spanning from San Joaquin to Kern. Primary contributors to air quality problems in the region are popula�on growth, emissions from traﬃc on two of the state’s major transporta�on routes (Interstate 5 and Highway 99), farm equipment, and wildﬁres. Geography also plays a role in air quality. Surrounding mountain ranges can cause air pollutants (generated locally and regionally) to concentrate in the valley. Pollutants may be trapped in the valley if prevailing winds are not able to rise over the mountain ranges. All these factors combine to make it diﬃcult to meet federal air quality standards for Ozone (smog) and Par�culate Mater (PM). The District is con�nuously inves�ng in clean air projects to help reduce emissions.

Seismic Stability
Most of Fresno County is situated within an area of rela�vely low seismic ac�vity but there are fault systems that have the poten�al to produce high-magnitude earthquakes in the county. Among the more notable ac�ve or poten�ally ac�ve faults within and adjacent to Fresno County are San Andreas (to the west), Garlock (to the south), and Sierra Nevada (to the east). According to the U.S. Geological Society (USGS) maps, most seismic ac�vity occurs to the west of Fresno County and to the east in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The primary seismic hazard in Fresno County is ground shaking.

Housing
Housing is important to economic development as places for workforce to live and also how the regional construc�on industry, as an employer and gross regional product generator, may grow or change based on trends in housing.

Since the Great Recession (2007-2010) ended in California and housing prices increased through the 2010s and in the immediate �me a�er the pandemic’s grip loosened, communi�es throughout California have wrestled with how to approach housing in terms of mix and quan�ty. Those choices have eﬀects on housing aﬀordability, housing equity and the ﬂows for Fresno’s construc�on industry. 0 50
100
150
200
250
Central Fresno City Fresno County San Joaquin Valley
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Figure 22: Number of "good air days" (Source: San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Web-based Archived Air Quality (WAAQ) System
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 21 Housing prices can be a measure of percep�on of aﬀordability as much as a real measure of how regional incomes can aﬀord housing. Fresno only recovered housing price peaks before the Great Recession in 2020, as prices were surging due to the pandemic’s favorable condi�ons. Looking at the state average as a comparison in Figure 23, Fresno has rela�ve aﬀordability versus other parts of California, which can be an economic and workforce development asset. Figure 24 shows that the outlook for housing toward summer 2024 is posi�ve, reversing trends that were dragging home prices down a�er July 2022.

Figure 23: Median Home Price Comparisons, Fresno and California, January 2000-June 2023, Current Dollars (Source: ZillowTM Research)

Figure 24: Forecast for Change in Median Home Price, June 2023-June 2024, Fresno, Fresno County and California, % Change (Source: ZillowTM Research)

Rentals
Figure 25 displays rental prices from January 2015 to June 2023, which shows con�nued growth before the pandemic and then the confounding shock of the pandemic on rental prices. No�ce how San Francisco (SF) had rental prices drop during the ini�al shock of the pandemic, but then recovered. For Fresno, in contrast, rental prices con�nued to rise alongside home prices. Such increases compound $-
$100,000
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000
$900,000
Jan-00
Nov-00
Sep-01
Jul-02
May-03
Mar-04
Jan-05
Nov-05
Sep-06
Jul-07
May-08
Mar-09
Jan-10
Nov-10
Sep-11
Jul-12
May-13
Mar-14
Jan-15
Nov-15
Sep-16
Jul-17
May-18
Mar-19
Jan-20
Nov-20
Sep-21
Jul-22
May-23
Fresno CA

4.4% 4.3%

3.5%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

4.0%

4.5%

5.0%
Fresno Fresno County CA
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 22 aﬀordability issues as residents do not have a market that is providing relief. Fresno, as we see later, had popula�on growth during and a�er the pandemic, providing some momentum for both home rental and purchase prices to rise.

Figure 25. Median Rental Prices, January 2015 to July 2023, Current Dollars/Month, Fresno and Selected Comparison Areas (Source: ZillowTM Research)

Housing Mix
Data on housing mix help understand Fresno’s housing stock in volumes of single-family “detached” homes, condominiums as for-sale products primarily (single-atached) and then an array of mul�-family homes that are primarily for rent (two or more units, generally atached and in a “complex”).

The mix of single-family homes (detached, atached, and mobile homes) compared to mul�family homes has remained consistent in Fresno since 2011 (66.5% single family to 33.5% mul�family). In 2023 Fresno experienced a slight increase in single family homes (67.6%). It remains to be seen if this is a trend.

$-
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
Jan-15 Jun-16 Nov-17 Apr-19 Sep-20 Feb-22 Jul-23
Fresno Fresno County LA Sac SF

66.5%

83.4%

67.9%67.6% 74.9% 68.2%
City of Fresno County (outside city) California
2011 2023
Figure 26: Share of single-family homes as percent of total housing units (Sources: California Department of Finance, Census Bureau)
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 23 The importance of housing mix is that it can signal a region’s infrastructure and social evolu�on. A lack of homes to purchase with a certain mix of larger and smaller homes may signal to a current or poten�al employer that workers will not be able to own easily in the region, may have to commute long distances to get to work, and may be diﬃcult to retain. Housing prices and mix can also aﬀect the types of households that form, which can aﬀect the overall popula�on, the currently available workforce and also K-12 school atendance. These data provide a signal of both workforce development volume and possibili�es as well as how the market in Fresno may be aﬀec�ng regional choices.

Housing Burden and Tenure
Rental prices have con�nued to climb since 2011. Figure 27 looks at the es�mated percentage of owner- occupied homes versus renter occupied—Fresno is a city where renters occupy a larger propor�on of the housing stock versus homeowners especially when compared to the county, state, and US.

Figure 27: Housing Tenure, Percentage of Owner-Occupied Homes, 2011 to 2021, City of Fresno, Fresno County, California Statewide, United States (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey)

When renters are a rela�vely large propor�on of the housing stock, the cost of rents as a ra�o of household income may be rela�vely large also, which leads to more renters spending 30% or more of their income per month on rent. This is known as a “housing burden.” Fresno and Fresno County show rela�vely high housing burden levels, though the state on average (due to larger urban-area rents) shows generally more burden. These data are shown in Figure 28.

Figure 28: Housing Burden, % of Total Housing Stock Rented, 2011 to 2021, City of Fresno, Fresno County and California Statewide, and United States (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey http://data.census.gov)

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%
Fresno Fresno County CA US
2011 2016 2019 2021

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%
Fresno Fresno County CA US
2011 2016 2019 2021
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 24

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
In this sec�on we consider demographic and socio-economic data about the City of Fresno compared to Fresno County, California and other selected areas.

Population
The state of California lost popula�on the last two years and it is expected that this decline will con�nue for a third year. This is the ﬁrst �me in recorded history that California has lost popula�on. Further, the out-migra�on includes a greater share of those with a college degree. Based on California Department of Finance (DOF) and California Department of Transporta�on (CalTrans) demographers, the state of California is likely to see a con�nued decline in statewide popula�on to 2040 from the pandemic period (2020-22).3 Unlike the state, Fresno County and Fresno City are on a path of popula�on growth toward 2040.

Figure 29: Population (2000 to 2022) and Forecasts (2023 to 2040), Fresno, Fresno County and California (Index, 2022 = 100), Fresno City Population = 543,428 (Forecasted Years in Shaded Area) (Sources: California Department of Finance, Census Bureau and CalTrans)

Age and Ethnic Mix
The age proﬁle (Figure 30) of Fresno’s residents has matured. This is not unique to Fresno, and coastal California, especially parts of the Bay Area, are aging faster. Almost 40% of Fresno’s popula�on is between 25 and 55 years old, prime earning and paren�ng years.

3 Cain, Bruce and Hehmeyer, Pree�. California’s Population Drain.” Stanford Ins�tute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). October 24, 2023.
75 80
85 90
95 100
105
-
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
number of Residents, California
(Index 2022 = 100)
Number of Residents
Fresno City Fresno County California
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 25 Figure 30: Age Mix of Population, Fresno, 2011 and 2021 (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey)

Figure 31 shows the ethnicity and racial mix of Fresno’s popula�on contrasted to Fresno County and California.

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%
Under 5
years
5 to 9
years
10 to 14
years
15 to 19
years
20 to 24
years
25 to 34
years
35 to 44
years
45 to 54
years
55 to 59
years
60 to 64
years
65 to 74
years
75 to 84
years
85 years
and over
2011 2021
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
CA Fresno County Fresno
2011
Hispanic or Latino
Two or more
Some other race
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Asian
American Indian and Alaska Native
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
CA Fresno County Fresno
2021
Not Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Some other race
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Asian
American Indian and Alaska Native
Black or African American
White
Figure 31: Ethnic Mix of Population, Fresno, 2011 and 2021 (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey) City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 26 Income and Poverty
Median household income (MHI) is a classic measure of the economic progress of residents. MHI is also the basis of housing aﬀordability measures, usually considered on a monthly basis versus the current rental prices or monthly costs of home ownership. Figure 32 looks at the inﬂa�on adjusted MHI for Fresno as a city, Fresno County, California on average, and the na�onal average.

The median household income in the city of Fresno experienced a 10-year average annual increase of

0.71% which is more than Fresno County (0.23%) or the State of California (0.68%).

Figure 32: Median Household Income, 2011 to 2021, City of Fresno, Fresno County and California Statewide, Current and 2023 Dollars (Using Statewide Prices), Selected Years (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey)

Figure 33 shows compara�ve poverty rates, where poverty is based on the federal poverty line (three �mes the es�mated food budget for a household of four people) and what percentage of residents in each area are es�mated to have a household income below that level.

The poverty level in the city of Fresno remains higher than the county, state, and na�on over the �me period shown. A�er an increase from 25% to 30% from 2011 to 2016, the level returned and remains at 25%. The increase in 2016 and subsequent decrease in 2021 is seen in each of the comparison areas.

Figure 33: Poverty Rates, 2011 to 2021, City of Fresno, Fresno County and California Statewide and National Average, Percent of Residents with Current Household Income below federal poverty level, Selected Years

$53,974 $57,809
$79,339
$65,121
$-
$20,000
$40,000
$60,000
$80,000
$100,000
Fresno Fresno County CA US
2011 2016 2019 2021

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%
2011 2016 2019 2021
Fresno Fresno County CA US
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 27 Sources of Income
The share of personal income from earned wages is substan�al (79%) but has remained unchanged from 2017 to 2021. Small changes in the source of income are 1) a slight increase in the share coming from re�rement (14% to 17%) which is another indica�on of an aging popula�on; and 2) a slight decline in the share from Public Assistance (10% to 8%). The fact that a large majority are receiving income from wages suggests that people are in Fresno to work.

Figure 34: Sources of Income, city of Fresno (Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates)

Cost of Living
Cost of living indices are based on a U.S. average of 100. The chart below presents the cost of living in the city of Fresno compared to Fresno County and the state of California. Fresno’s 103.7 overall cost of living means that it is nearly 104% more expensive to live in Fresno rela�ve to the U.S. average. Fresno’s cost of living is much more aﬀordable that the state average (150%). The cost of u�li�es and housing are the two major components of the higher cost of living.

Figure 35: Cost of living comparison. (Source: Sperling's Best Places, Oct 2023)

0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Wages Social Security Retirement Supplemental SSI Public Assistance 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
103.7 108.5 93.1 112.4103.7 111.2 93.1 110.7
149.9
234.8

98.3 102.4
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
Overall Cost of Living Housing Health Care Utilities
City of Fresno Fresno County California US
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 28 Health and Safety
This sec�on looks at several factors that indicate the popula�on’s risk, equity, and safety. The intent of these data is to give community leaders an indica�on of the local popula�on’s capacity to respond, absorb, endure, and recover from the eﬀects of a disaster or economic shi�.

At-Risk Population
The Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Es�mates (CRE) measures how at-risk popula�ons are based on several factors including but not limited to poverty level, senior popula�on, single parent households, households with no vehicle. Over half of Fresno County (and surrounding coun�es) have one or more risk factors. This is in line with the state but higher than the na�on.

Figure 36: 2021 Fresno County At-Risk Community Resilience Estimates (Source: US Census Bureau, data collected 10/2023)

Health Insurance Coverage
The share of the city’s and county’s popula�on with some type of health insurance coverage has improved over the last ﬁve years. The 2021 data indicates a greater share of the Fresno popula�on is covered with health insurance than the na�on’s popula�on.

Figure 37: Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population with Health Insurance Coverage (Source: US Census, ACS 5-Year Estimates)

24%
52%
25%20%
52%
28%
21%
44%
35%
Population with
3+ risk factors
Population with
1 or 2 risk factors
Population with
no risk factors
Fresno County State of California U.S.
80%
82%
84%
86%
88%
90%
92%
94%
City of Fresno Fresno County California US
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix B – Economic Conditions Page 29 Unhoused Population
According to the Fresno Madera Con�nuum of Care (FMCoC) Point in Time (PIT) County, 4,493 persons were experiencing homelessness as of January 24, 2023. This represents a 7% increase from 2022.

The forces which aﬀect homelessness are complex and o�en interac�ve in nature. Social forces such as addic�on, family breakdown, and mental illness are compounded by structural forces such as lack of available low-cost housing, poor economic condi�ons, and insuﬃcient mental health services. People who experience homelessness place an increased burden on the government and taxpayers which impacts the local economy. People without housing are high consumers of public resources and generate expenses, rather than income, for the community.

Child Care
Child care is at the core of the U.S. economy. Children rely on child care services for safe, enriching early learning environments, parents rely on the services of child care providers so that they can pursue work or school and build ﬁnancial stability to provide for their families. Businesses rely on the child care sector to ensure a stable workforce and consumer base.

Lack of aﬀordable quality child care is a barrier to economic growth. Without a safe and accessible place for young children to go, workers (par�cularly women) are limited on employment and educa�onal opportuni�es, and therefore less able to earn money to help support the family.

Fresno is not mee�ng the demand for aﬀordable, quality child care. Only 23% of children (aged 0-12) of working families are provided with child care services, leaving 77% of working families unserved. Only 15% of infants and toddlers of working families have access to care. 4 Leaving an untapped workforce at
home to take care of children in a �me when many jobs go unﬁlled is a missed opportunity for economic growth for the city and for achieving ﬁnancial stability for many Fresno families.

4 Fresno County Child Care and Development, Local Planning Council, Early Care and Educa�on, October 2023 City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix C – Organizational Ecosystem Page 1 APPENDIX C: Organizational Ecosystem
The City of Fresno and the greater Central Valley region enjoy a substantial and proactive ecosystem of organizations and initiatives working independently and collaboratively to protect and improve the economic future of the region. Below is a listing and summary of the organizations and work being done by each organization.

One of the most important roles the City of Fresno can play in this ecosystem is strategic coordination.

This includes connecting groups, ensuring information flows among the organizations, protecting against duplication of efforts and conflicts.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix C – Organizational Ecosystem Page 2 Asian Business Center and Resource Institute (ABIRC) www.fresnoabirc.org supports and promotes Asian business owners in the Central California region by providing networking opportunities and programs such as the first Hmong Cohort in the Central Valley, fundraisers for local schools, and partnerships with local non-profit organizations.

Building Healthy Communities www.fresnobhc.org is working to build a foundation for a healthier community by creating social capital, bridging diverse organizations through an informed, engaged, and active citizenry.

California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation (CCVEDC) www.centralcalifornia.org was formed in the late 1980s by the professional economic development organizations serving California’s Central Valley counties as a marketing collaborative. CCVEDC and its members present the region as a competitive business location to companies, site selectors, brokers and developers.

California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley www.sjvpartnership.org is hosted by the Fresno State University Office of Community and Economic Development. The SJV Partnership provides an organizational framework for collaboration to improve the quality of life in the San Joaquin Valley by focusing on creating a prosperous economy, quality environment, and social equity throughout the valley through eleven regional work groups (Advanced Communication, Air Quality, Economic Development, Housing, PreK-12 Education, Sustainable Communities, Water Quality, Supply and Reliability and Workforce Development.

California State University, Fresno www.fresnostate.edu is home to about 25,000 students, over 70 bachelor and 48 master programs. The University’s strategic goals are to enhance personal well being and professional fulfillment, bridge the campus and community, cultivate regional progress, modernize facilities and technology, and embody full inclusivity.

California State University, Fresno Women’s Entrepreneur Center www.centralvalleywec.org is a partnership program with the Small Business Administration (SBA) that offers a variety of business support services to assist women in starting, growing, managing, or selling their small business.

Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN) www.ccejn.org is a coalition of grassroots environmental justice groups and individuals dedicated to preserving natural resources, minimizing or eliminating negative environmental impacts, and supporting environmental health education, community organizing, collaborative dialogue, and political involvement in rural, low-income and underserved communities of color in the San Joaquin Valley.

Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce www.cchcc.biz fosters economic growth that creates and sustains prosperity for the benefit of all people while promoting the awareness and preservation of the Hispanic culture. Services include education and networking opportunities, access to capital, and other business connections.

Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC) www.cviic.org is dedicated to ensuring full participation of immigrants in building strong, vibrant, inclusive communities. Programs and services include entrepreneurship, small business support, training, grants and financing assistance.

Chinatown Fresno Foundation and Partnership www.chinatownfresno.org was formed to foster civic pride and enhance quality of life by generating funds to support the improvement of the social, physical, and cultural environment of Historic Chinatown Fresno.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix C – Organizational Ecosystem Page 3 Community & Economic Development Partnership (Fresno CDEP) www.fresnocedp.org is a community- based organization formed to build community and economic development capacity in Fresno neighborhoods with median household incomes below the poverty. Through policy, preparation, participation, and production CDEP helps build strong leaders for the civic infrastructure in Fresno.

Downtown Fresno Partnership www.downtownfresno.org leads efforts to create downtown as a vibrant hub of business activity by promoting is image, supporting physical improvements and development, advocating for merchants, and hosting special events that bring new life to the historic core of the city.

Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation (FAHF) fresnoahf.org develops strategies and policies to better serve all Spanish and English-speaking business owners interested in the welfare of the Fresno-area Hispanic community. The Foundation offers a variety of services including office space, funding to help small business start-ups.

Fresno Building Healthy Communities (Fresno BHC) (www.fresnobhc.org) A coalition of community members working to build a foundation for a healthy community by creating social capital, bridging diverse communities and organizations, and empowering grassroots leaders. Primary focus is on Southeast, Central, and Southwest Fresno.

Fresno Business Council (FBC) http://www.Fresnobc.org was founded in 1993 by business leaders as a catalyst for change and to tackle economic and social issues in the community. The Council creates and implements collaborative strategies and community initiatives including the Center for Advanced Research & Technology (CART), the Choosing Our Future Report, the Human Investment Initiative, and the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance.

Fresno Chamber of Commerce www.fresnochamber.com promotes and supports the success of the regional business community through effective advocacy, education and relationship building.

Fresno City College www.fresnocitycollege.edu as California’s first community college, Fresno City College is dedicated to working collaboratively to enhance the economic and social development of the region and providing access to equity-centered, innovative educational programs.

Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau www.visitfresnocounty.org is a destination marketing organization that is dedicated to promoting the Fresno/Clovis region to travel markets.

Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (Fresno EDC) www.fresnoedc.com is a public/private nonprofit organization established to market Fresno County as the premier location for business locations. The EDC collaborates with business, government and civic leaders to maximize the area’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness, facilitates site selection for new and expanding businesses, and assists in the retention and expansion of businesses through alliances with collaborative partners and resources.

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) www.fresnoeoc.org established in 1965, is one of the nation’s largest Community Action Agency. EOC offers over 35 programs that help people become self-sufficient, including preschool education, vocational training, youth recreation, senior citizen hot meal services, energy conservation education, crisis intervention, preventive health care, prenatal nutrition education, vocational counseling and job placement.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix C – Organizational Ecosystem Page 4 Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce www.fmbcc.com works to advance the interests of the Black business community by delivering value-added services and opportunities to members and the community at-large with programs and resources that support an open, thriving market without social, economic or political barriers.

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board www.frwdb.net is a Joint Powers Authority between the City of Fresno and the County of Fresno established to manage Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding, and to provide services that will ensure participants find jobs and that businesses have access to a skilled workforce.

Hmong Business Incubator Center www.hbicenter.org empowers individuals in underrepresented and underserved communities to overcome challenges in navigating business systems and creates an entrepreneurial environment that encourages innovation in the Hmong community.

Invest Fresno (investfresnoca.com) is a coalition of community leaders, residents, and local business owners working to create opportunities and growing the economy to help raise the standard of living, create more career opportunities, improve neighborhoods and strengthen community services.

Leadership Council for Justice www.leadershipcounsel.org through community organizing, research, communications, legal representation, and policy advocacy, the Leadership Council aims to influence land use and transportation planning, public investment priorities, guide environmental policy, and promote the provision of basic infrastructure and services.

San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SJVMA) www.sjvma.org is an organization of the Valley’s manufacturing leaders working together to advance industry and create a world-class workforce at the local level by developing resources, collaborating with education, hosting special events and industry specific sector roundtables.

The Tower District Marketing Committee (www.towerdistrict.org) is a nonprofit organization established to promote and develop commerce, community, and the cultural environment in Fresno’s Tower District through special events and planned economic development.

Valley Small Business Development Corporation (VSBDC) www.vsbdc.com is a nonprofit, public benefit, small business development corporation authorized to make direct loans to farmers and small businesses, provide technical assistance and financial literacy, and to guarantee small businesses and family farms with increased access to capital.

Vision View (www.communityvisionca.org) promotes economic justice and alleviates poverty by increasing the financial resilience and sustainability of community-based nonprofits and enterprises, creating opportunities to make socially responsible investments that revitalize Northern and Central California communities.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 1 APPENDIX D: Economic Centers
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Herndon Avenue & Highway 99 .................................................................................................................. 4 Blackstone Corridor .................................................................................................................................... 6 Tower District .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Downtown/Chinatown ................................................................................................................................ 9 Kings Canyon/Ventura Corridor ................................................................................................................ 11 South Van Ness Industrial Area ................................................................................................................. 13 South Central Specific Plan (SCSP) Area .................................................................................................... 15 Fresno Yosemite International Airport Area .............................................................................................. 17 Southeast Development Area (SEDA)........................................................................................................ 19 Shaw Avenue ............................................................................................................................................ 21

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 2 Introduction
The City of Fresno has ten distinct economic opportunity areas or centers (Centers) that are or can be developed or further developed to retain and create jobs and significantly increase economic activity.

The business activity in the Centers generates millions in revenue for the City through sales, property, and lodging taxes and provides diverse employment options for Fresno area workers.

The economic health of these Centers is essential to improving and sustaining Fresno as a healthy community, one with balanced economic, physical, and social environments. Also, understanding how each Center functions from an economic development perspective is important to understanding and planning for future economic and job
growth, diversification, and resiliency.

The Centers profiled here include potential
opportunities for new and in-fill
development, renovation and
enhancement of space and use.

Improvements to the Centers will make
them and the City more competitive and
attractive to employers, help to diversify
the economy and provide jobs for a range
of skilled workers.

Starting from the City’s most northern
boundary and moving southeast, the
Centers are summarized and mapped on
the next page and further described on the
following pages.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 3

1 Most recent four quarters sales tax revenue (3Q2022 to 2Q2023) in $millions. Source: MuniServices, City ECONOMIC CENTER ACRES BUSINESSES EMPLOYMENT REVENUE1
($MILLION) OPPORTUNITIES
1 Herndon-Highway 99 678 163 1,545 $2.5 Light industrial and commercial
2 Blackstone Corridor 1,286 1,270 15,070 $25.8 Primarily retail 3 Tower District 1,850 721 6,551 $1.2 Residential, limited retail or commercial
4 Downtown-Chinatown 4,474 2,325 38,265 $5.1 Retail, commercial, possible residential
5 Kings Canyon-Ventura
Corridor (Hwy 180)
2,893 755 7,145 $4.7 Retail, commercial, and
transit-oriented uses
6 South Van Ness
Industrial Area
416 148 1,701 $1.2 Industrial
7 South Central Specific
Plan Area
5,562 642 18,539 $31.7 Industrial and
distribution
8 Fresno Yosemite
International Airport
2,259 848 11,650 $5.4 Light industrial
9 Southeast Develop-
ment Area (SEDA)
8,621 73 474 $0.0 Long-term industrial
10 Shaw Avenue 2,580 2,104 23,637 $12.2 Retail and commercial TOTAL 30,619 9,049 124,577 $89.8
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 9
10 10
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 4 Herndon Avenue & Highway 99
The 678-acre Herndon Avenue and Highway 99 Economic Center is a mix of primarily retail, business and professional services and some light industrial uses. The Center’s northern boundary is Herndon Avenue and extends to just north of Market Street. The east/west boundary includes the area between Highway 99 and Riverside Avenue.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Veterans Boulevard Interchange and Corridor Improvement Project was a $140 million investment that improved accessibility, circulation, traffic flow, reduced congestion in northwest Fresno and will accommodate light industrial development. Veterans Boulevard is partially open. • Marketplace at El Paseo is a 650,000 square foot regional retail and commercial center located south of W . Herndon Avenue between Golden State Blvd and N. Riverside Drive. The center is anchored by several big box stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues (Target, Burlington, Old Navy, Ulta, Olive Garden, Regal Cinemas) and includes a Tesla charging station. • Riverside Drive and Herndon Avenue intersection is the expected location for the world’s largest Costco. The 22-acre, 241,000 square foot center will double as an e-commerce fulfillment center.

Jobs will be a mix of entry level, management, and professional (pharmacy, etc.). • There are early-stage plans for a 17-acre residential development (single family homes and luxury apartments) with elements of mixed-use.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Veterans Boulevard—about 100 acres in the area between Golden State and Highway 99 is zoned light industrial. Once the interchange improvements are fully completed in early 2024 this area will Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 163
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 1,545
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 5 be ready and suitable for light industrial development. Primary infrastructure (sewer, water, etc.) is in place and will support light industrial uses. The City is currently completing off-site improvements e.g. streets, sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping. There are early-stage plans by a landowner within this Center to develop 60 acres for commercial and light industrial uses. • A Union Pacific rail line runs along the east side of Golden State Highway, a competitive advantage when marketing to industrial users.
• The site will be served by high speed rail.

CHALLENGES
• Lead time of 18 to 24 months for installation of PG&E infrastructure. • Potential environmental justice challenges.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 6 Blackstone Corridor
Historically, an important retail area in Fresno, the 1,286-acre Blackstone Corridor is developing into strong mixed-use neighborhoods. This approximately eight-mile Corridor spans from Nees Avenue (north) to Highway 180; east to Highway 41 and west several blocks abutting residential areas.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• The Fresno Area Express’ (FAX) a federal- and state-funded rapid transit line named “Q-Line” began service in 2018. The route spans 16 miles on Blackstone from N. Fresno St. to downtown and then east on Kings Canyon Road to Clovis Avenue. The Q serves Fresno’s major shopping centers, hospitals, and employment centers.
• Blackstone and McKinley Avenues (intersection) is the site of an $85 million dollar grade separation project funded by the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and Measure C. The project includes raising a BNSF track over the avenues which will help to improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders in the Fresno City College area. Construction is expected to occur from 2024 to 2027. Besides the expected traffic impacts during construction, some businesses will be relocated; mostly small businesses including some franchises. A multi-disciplinary group in the City’s Capital Improvements Department is providing relocation assistance to the businesses.
• Façade Grant Program funded by $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds supports repairing and modernizing buildings throughout the City of Fresno. Areas identified as priority for the funds were Chinatown, Downtown, Tower District, and Bus Rapid Transit and Transit Oriented Development areas around Blackstone and Kings Canyon.
• Manchester Center (Blackstone and Shields Avenue), an important anchor of Blackstone Avenue, is slated to be refurbished to mixed use which will include approximately 1 million square feet of Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 1,270
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 15,070
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 7 ground floor retail, office, dining, and entertainment, and nearly 600 second-story housing units (about 400,000 square feet of housing).
• The Link (Blackstone and East McKinley Avenue) near Fresno City College is a mixed-use development made possible with a variety of funding sources including state funding for offsite infrastructure. The Link includes 88 units of affordable housing, retail, commercial, and entertainment options. The development helps to connect the Fresno City College area to downtown Fresno, provides residents access to transportation, jobs, retail, entertainment, schools, and community services.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Senior Center opening in 2025 will be the City’s first activity center dedicated to the City’s senior population. This 30,000 square foot facility will be located on Blackstone and Holland Avenue and will include an affordable housing development nearby.
• Retail and commercial development opportunities exist throughout the Center.

CHALLENGES
• Securing funding for off-site improvements, revitalization, and pedestrian amenities.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 8 Tower District
Fresno’s Tower District, surrounded by Downtown and the Blackstone Corridor is an eclectic pedestrian- oriented area with retail, restaurants, bars, and a diverse mix of housing options. The 1,850-acre District spans from Shields Avenue (north) to North Fruit avenue (west), Marioa Avenue (east) out to Blackstone, and down to Kings Canyon/Highway 180 (south). Zoning is primarily residential with some commercial along the major arterials (Blackstone, Olive, Van Ness, Belmont).

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Community events are popular in the Tower District including Thursday Farmer’s Markets, Rainbow Pride Parade/Festival, and a Street Vendor Program.
• Façade Improvement Program of $1 million was established for Council Districts 1 (Tower District) and 4 (Airport Area) for underserved and minority small businesses. This program supplements a current $100,000 façade program available to businesses in the Tower District and Kings Canyon/Ventura Corridor.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Potential for additional community events that would generate traffic for local businesses. • Fill vacancies.
• Site and buildings for new development and revitalization.

CHALLENGES
• Securing funding for improvements, revitalization, and pedestrian amenities.

Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 721
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 6,551
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 9 Downtown/Chinatown
Downtown Fresno is a major employment and entertainment center. The area spans from W . Clinton Avenue (north) to Marks Avenue (west) to West Olive (south) and over to Weber Avenue (east). The first High Speed Rail (HSR) station (Fresno Station) will be in the heart of downtown Fresno and Chinatown between H and G Streets and Fresno and Tulare Streets.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• The City received a total of $250 million for downtown infrastructure from a variety of state and federal funding sources. Additionally, $6.2 million is already budgeted by the public works and public utilities departments for downtown infrastructure improvements. This investment is expected to catalyze private investment in residential and mixed-use development, thereby delivering high-density and walkable neighborhoods with equitable housing options. • Chukchansi Park is the City-owned home of the Fresno Grizzlies, the single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Stadium capacity is approximately 10,500. A 2019 stadium renovation provides new fan amenities and social spaces.
• Several student programs were able to expand in Downtown when the Fresno Unified School District acquired space in downtown Fresno (Fresno and Fulton Streets). Among the programs housed in the newly renovated building is the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program and the Prevention and Intervention Department.
• Free trolleys to connect Downtown and the Tower District to Fresno City College and Fresno State campuses are planned which will make the businesses and entertainment hubs in these areas more accessible to students, and ease potential traffic and parking challenges.

Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 2,325
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
ServicesPublic
Service
Employment: 38,265
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 10 • Fulton Street (formerly Fulton Pedestrian Mall) reopened to traffic in 2017. The City’s $20 million investment is beginning to see a revival of this section of downtown. • Brewery District in the Fulton Street area has grown into a popular destination after the first brewery (Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company) was established here in 2014. Private investment in tenant improvements and transforming warehouses into retail and restaurant space has spurred additional entertainment and dining establishments that attract city-wide residents and visitors. • Façade Grant Program funded by $1.5 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and managed by the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation was dedicated to repairing and modernizing building facades throughout the City of Fresno, specifically prioritizing minority-owned businesses and businesses in prioritized areas of the Tower District, Chinatown, Downtown, Bus Rapid Transit and Transit Oriented Development areas around Blackstone and Kings Canyon, and areas around the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
• Special Events attract both residents and visitors into Downtown for: Fulton Street Party, Art Hop, Vamos! Food Truck Event (“Taco Truck Throwdown”), Fres-Yes Fest, Market on Kern (farmer’s market), Oktoberfest, Tequila Fest, various parades, Convention Center concerts and events.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• The first High Speed Rail (HSR) station serves as a catalyst project that will further revitalize downtown Fresno and the Downtown/Chinatown economic center with new retail, restaurants, and offices. Riders will have easy access to Chukchansi Park, Fresno City Hall, County and Federal courthouses, and the Fresno Area Express (FAX) Bus Rapid Transit service. Fresno State University is about six miles north of the station and is easily accessed using FAX. • Along Kings Canyon Road is about 600 acres of rail-served heavy industrial property. • Three vacant/available buildings that once housed Bitwise Industries provide an opportunity for office, educational, and similar uses.
• Demand is strong for downtown housing. The City has a six-month waiting list of people who are interested in living downtown.
• A former 153,000-square foot JC Penney building is slated for reuse to apartments and ground floor retail by 2026.
• There is potential for additional community events that would generate traffic for local businesses.

CHALLENGES
• Securing funding for improvements, revitalization, pedestrian amenities, tenant improvements, and residential development.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 11 Kings Canyon/Ventura Corridor
Bounded by Tulare Street (north), Butler Avenue (south), Yosemite Freeway (west), and Los Arbolitos (east). Primary land uses in this 2,893-acre Center are a mix of commercial, residential (single and multi- family) and several public facilities. Amenities include rapid transit running every ten minutes connecting Clovis Avenue to downtown and Blackstone. Rezoning of this Center in 2015 permitted more mixed use and multi-family development.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Fancher Creek Town Center is a +/-200 acre planned development that includes housing, retail, entertainment, commercial and light industrial uses in a live-work environment. • Ground was broken on Sarah’s Court in 2023. This is a 120-unit affordable housing complex on Salma Avenue in the Fancher Creek Town Center. The $33 million project is supported by a $6.2 million loan from the City of Fresno, state housing tax credits. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
• Brandhaven Senior Living is also located in Fancher Creek Town Center, opened March 2023. The 180-unit facility offers affordable apartments for those aged 62 and over. Additional housing units will be built over time.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• The Kings Canyon Corridor Transit Oriented Development (KCCTOD) covers 4.5 square miles bounded by East Tulare Avenue (north), East Butler Avenue (south), South Argyle Avenue (east), and the 41 or Yosemite Freeway (west). The City is working to identify the best locations for housing, retail, offices, and public space development centered around the Q-line bus stations on Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 755
Traded
Sector
RetailBusiness
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 7,145
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 12 the Kings Canyon / Ventura Corridor. This work will also include development of up to three station area templates that can be used on properties along transit corridors citywide. • The former University Medical Center (UMC) building located at Kings Canyon and Cedar Avenue is on the market for $6 million. City officials and residents have identified affordable housing as the best reuse. The building has been vacant since the hospital closed in 2007. • The former IRS Building located at Butler and Peach was closed in 2021 as part of the Internal Revenue Service’s consolidation of processing centers across the US. Employees affected by the closing of the Fresno facility received job search and skills training assistance from the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board’s Rapid Response Team. The 531,976-square foot facility consists of five buildings on 48.46 acres and includes offices and warehouse space, loading docks, a fully equipped commercial kitchen and 2,641 parking stalls. The facility has easy access to four major highways and the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

CHALLENGES
• Securing funding for improvements, revitalization, pedestrian amenities, tenant improvements, residential and mixed-use development.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 13 South Van Ness Industrial Area
One of the oldest industrial areas in Fresno, this 416-acre area suffers from badly degraded streets, inadequate street lighting, lack of landscaping/buffers and under-utilized parcels. This Center spans from Butler/Ventura (north) to East Church Avenue (south), and west to Downtown. The Center is home to employers that serve the agriculture, food, and packaging industries.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• In 2016 the City of Fresno received a $3.04 million grant from EDA for infrastructure improvements in the South Van Ness Industrial Area. The federal grant was matched with City funding of $1.3 million for a total investment of $4.35 million. The grant included funding for improvements to roadways, sidewalks, and intersections on East, Pearl, California, and Hamilton Avenues. • OK Produce is a long-established (1950) family-owned produce wholesaler located in the Center.

This local employer serves supermarkets across California and southern Oregon and is currently undergoing expansion and implementing Phase I of electrifying their fleet. The facility currently has 12,000 solar panels installed on the rooftop and parking lot that produces 6.5 to 7 million KwH.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Good highway access.
• Rail served sites are available within the Center.
• Several vacant sites suitable for industrial operations. • The Center is underperforming relative to its potential Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 148
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 1,701
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 14

CHALLENGES
• A significant amount of work and investment is needed to improve aging infrastructure and make sites more marketable and attractive to new employers and to retain existing employers that may be expanding.
• Funding for missing public infrastructure, badly degraded streets, deferred street maintenance, lighting, paving, landscaping, and streetscapes.
• Code enforcement to clean up site and outdoor storage areas. • Several short, narrow streets traverse the Center, a re-design would make the Center more attractive to new and current employers and workers.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 15 South Central Specific Plan (SCSP) Area
This substantial area (5,562 acres) is the main industrial area in the City of Fresno which, according to a 2023 study completed by Invest Fresno, generates $13 billion in economic output. The Center’s northern boundary is South Van Ness, south to E. Center and American Avenues, west to Yosemite Freeway and east to Highway 99.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Amazon FAT 1 Fulfillment Center is a 1 million+ square foot facility located on 64 acres in the South Central Specific Plan Area (SCSP), south of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The Center employs approximately 5,000 full- and part-time employees. Another 470,000 square foot facility (QXY8) supports the fulfillment center with overflow storage. This facility employs approximately 165 full- and part-time workers.
• Ulta Fulfillment Center is located just one mile southwest of Amazon facilities. This is the company’s western e-commerce fulfillment center, and its first in California. The 670,000 square foot facility opened in Fresno in 2018 and employs about 500 workers. • Coca Cola Distribution, in 2023, initiated an expansion to a 206,800 square foot facility on 14.78 acres in the SCSP area, about two miles west of its current 65,000 square foot facility in Fresno. The distribution center employs approximately 200 workers.
• Other employers located in this Center include Valley Wide Beverage, Scelzi, Keiser Corporation, Caro Nut, JD Food, and Betts Company.
• Approved in December 2023 are plans to improve North Avenue freeway intersection in the middle of the Center over the next two years; includes upgrades to 60-year old interchange to relieve Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 642
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 18,539
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 16 Highway 99 traffic congestion. Improvements are funded by state, transportation, development fees, and Measure C.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• BNSF Rail serves sites along Highway 99 and further east to Peach Avenue. • Vacant sites with infrastructure in place.

CHALLENGES
• Litigation initiated by adjacent Fresno County residents and existing/expanding/new industrial operations in the Center have increased over the past several years. Environmental Justice litigation adds to the cost, time, and ease of development.
• ,
• Lead time of 18 to 24 months to bring PG&E infrastructure into a specific site and confirm capacity.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 17 Fresno Yosemite International Airport Area
The airport area is a 2,259-acre Economic Center important to the entire region for commercial and industrial trade as well as for the tourism industry. The Airport Center is bounded by Dakota Avenue (north), McKinley Avenue (south), Argyle (east), and Chestnut and Winery Avenues (west). Besides airport use, zoning is primarily light industrial.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Palm Lakes Business Park is located on the northeast corner of Dakota and Willows Avenues, just four miles north of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport; tenants include Speed Engineering, Universal Coatings, and others.
• The Fresno City Council recently approved a $1 million Façade Improvement Program for Council Districts 1 (Tower) and 4 which includes the Airport Area. The program is aimed at underserved and minority small businesses.
• The GAP Pacific Distribution Center is located east of the airport along Dakota Avenue. The development includes two buildings and a solar field.
• East of the airport is the long-established and popular Airways Golf Club.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Several hundred acres east and north of the airport are zoned for light industrial development including an 11-acre parcel in the Palm Lakes Business Park. • No known constraints to further development.
• Outside the City limits and east of the airport is land zoned for light industrial development.

Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 848
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 11,650
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 18 • There is interest in designating space in and around the airport for commercial transportation of agriculture products, manufacturing and supporting industries.

CHALLENGES
• Securing funding to make available parcels market-ready e.g., install or upgrade infrastructure, streets, lighting, paving, landscaping, and streetscapes.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 19 Southeast Development Area (SEDA)
Bounded by Minnewawa, Temperance and Locan Avenues (west), McCall, Highland and Temperance Avenues (east), the Gould Canal (north), and North and Jensen Avenues (south), this 8,621-acre planned development area is located in the southeast area of Fresno’s Sphere of Influence. Currently home to an estimated 73 businesses, the Fresno General Plan includes this as one of the City’s primary growth areas for 2035 to 2050. SEDA aligns with the General Plan’s policy of balancing growth with infill development, includes diverse residential districts, employment districts, open space, agricultural uses, and green infrastructure.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Future development will provide for increased housing density, adding 45,000 diverse housing units for all income levels which will accommodate 130,000 residents at buildout (a 23% increase in population). Phase I calls for 15,000 housing units to be built beginning in 2035. • The area is currently rural/agricultural land. To accommodate the population growth forecasted for Fresno while protecting productive farmland, the SEDA specific plan: 1) proposes to cluster homes and jobs at more than twice the density of current development; 2) adheres to the Fresno County Right-to-Farm Ordinance which requires new subdivisions within 300 feet of an agricultural zone to record a covenant which requires residents of the subdivision to accept the inconveniences and discomfort associated with normal farm activities; 3) calls for the establishment of a Farmland Preservation Program to help mitigate the loss of agricultural land and support for the viability of small farming; and 4) creates spaces for agricultural training programs, farmers’ markets, community gardens, agricultural education, small farms, entrepreneurship, agricultural research and innovation.

Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 73
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 474
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 20 • The City of Fresno adopted its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (GHG Plan) in 2014 and updated it in 2021 to comply with new targets set by the State of California and align with California’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan. The SEDA specific plan includes high-density and mixed use development to provide more housing while reducing travel; focus on pedestrian-oriented amenities, walkable neighborhoods with schools, shops and parks; transit-oriented development; and energy conserving development.
• Development in the SEDA is expected to realize up to 37,000 jobs in mixed-use and flex spaces and ultimately become a significant economic center. The goals of the SEDA are to acknowledge and build on Fresno’s current strengths to create economic opportunity in an environmentally responsible way and attract investment from industries that are a best fit for Fresno (agriculture technologies, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, construction, food processing, healthcare, information processing and software development, logistics and distribution, and tourism).

CHALLENGES
• The City is currently experiencing resistance from county residents who do not want to be annexed into the City and are opposed to the development of agriculture land. • Funding for infrastructure to support development.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix D – Economic Centers Page 21 Shaw Avenue
A strong commercial and retail area that is home to over 23,000 businesses, Shaw Avenue includes commercial areas along the north and south sides of Shaw Avenue from Highway 99 (west), crosses Blackstone and runs east to Sierra Freeway.

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECENT INVESTMENT
• Employers and development in and around the Shaw Avenue area include Fresno State University, Fig Garden Village Shopping Center, Fashion Fair Mall, West Acre Shopping Center, Arbor Faire Shopping Center, Walmart Supercenter, and dozens of other retail chains and independent small businesses.

ASSETS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• A walkable area.
• Further commercial development including the reuse of the Costco facility that is planning an expansion and move to Herndon Avenue Center.

CHALLENGES
• Funding for infrastructure upgrades, pedestrian amenities, streetscaping, etc.

Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Businesses: 2,104
Traded
Sector
Retail
Business
Services
Public
Service
Employment: 23,637
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix E – Reference Documents Page 1 APPENDIX E: Reference Documents
The city of Fresno has and continues to invest in city and neighborhood planning. Below is an inventory of the planning efforts undertaken by the city since 2000 that were considered during the creation of the City of Fresno Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

TITLE YEAR
City of Fresno Fiscal Year 2024 Budget 2024
Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Strategic Plan 2023-2026 Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, Biennial Modification to the Program Year 2021-2024 Local Plan 2023
Good Jobs 4 the Central Valley (Good Jobs Challenge) 2022 Fresno Small Business Capital Flows & Gap Analysis 2022 Fresno West Area Specific Plan 2022
Regional Workforce Development Board 2023 Biennial Modification to Local Plan 2021-2024 Central Southeast Area Specific Plan 2021
City of Fresno Strategic Technology Master Plan 2021
Greater Fresno Region Drive 2019-2020
Fresno County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2019 Sewer System Management Plan; City of Fresno Wastewater Management Division 2019 Transform Fresno: Displacement Avoidance Plan 2019
Southern Blackstone Avenue Smart Mobility Plan 2019
Southwest Fresno Specific Plan 2017
Fulton Corridor Specific Plan 2016
Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan 2016
Fresno Parks Vision 2050 2016
City of Fresno General Plan Housing Element 2015-2023
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix E – Reference Documents Page 2

TITLE YEAR
Fresno County EDC Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2015 Economic Development and Fiscal Responsibility Plan 2015 Highway 41 & North Corridor Streets Plan 2015
City of Fresno General Plan and related updates 2014
Old Fig Garden Transportation Study 2013
El Dorado Park Neighborhood Plan 2009
Pinedale Neighborhood Plan 2007
Tower District Specific Plan Design Guidelines 2004

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 1 APPENDIX F: Public Survey Results

1. In which City Council District do you live?

2. How long have you lived in Fresno?

3. What are the primary reasons that caused you to choose (or to stay) in Fresno?

20%
9%
27%
12%
8%
13%
11%
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
10%
4%
7%
7%
8%
64%
< 5 yrs
5-9 yrs
10-14 yrs
15-19 yrs
20-24 yrs
25+ yrs
31 56
12 24
11 1
Employment
Family
Schools (K-12, higher)
Housing options & affordability
Access to healthcare
Retail shopping options
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2

4. What community services have you used?

5. What community services do you want more of or are lacking in your neighborhood? ▪ Senior center in fresno. More mental
health and drug services to assist getting
homeless houses. Transitional programs.

Less welfare and more services.
▪ Think you should provide a couple of
examples of community services
▪ Youth sport or community center closer to
Chandler park.
▪ Housing Assistance
▪ Parks with recreation center
▪ Tower library and get rid of the bicycle
lanes
▪ Job training
▪ A neighborhood park that has a play
structure for kids.
▪ A library for Tower District
▪ Safe connected bike network, non profit
cafe that supports job training, additional
pocket park space
▪ Crime, Homelessness reduced. Speed
reduced for everyone not just steer
racers.
▪ Parks/dog parks, public trash cans
▪ Mobile showers and outreach for
unhoused
▪ Getting homeless out of residential areas
▪ Better roads and more street lights
▪ New roads.
▪ youth and young adult focused
▪ Fight crime, decrease gangs, clean streets,
fix potholes
▪ Community/neighborhood watch
▪ Mental health support for homeless
▪ housing for lower low low income also
not enough information knowledge
people don't know how things will effect
you when you're older also middle aged
job programs that speak Spanish
▪ More diligence on pot holes
▪ better services for the unhoused
43 9
19 67
22 52
8 12
16 16
23 3
22 9
24 8
25 4
Public transportation
Senior center/services
Child or after school care
Local parks, playgrounds
Food bank, meal services
Library
Vocational counseling
Job search assistance
Job training
Housing assistance
Financial assistance for utilities
Crisis intervention or support
Preventive healthcare
Prenatal education, services
Youth sports, recreation
Legal aid
Financial aid for education
Supplemental income assistance
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 ▪ Improved Park conditions
▪ I live closest to District 2 in
unincorporated area. Bike lanes in
unincorporated areas (Bullard/Fig)
▪ Restaurants
▪ All of them
▪ Grocery Stores
▪ more recreation programs
▪ Cleanup-Alleys, Community Safety &
Crime Prevention; Community cleanliness
and improvement
▪ Cheap housing, drug counseling, youth
programs, assistance to individuals
fighting mental health
▪ Childcare and youth sports
▪ None for MY neighborhood, but I am
lucky in that I can afford to live in this area
▪ Light Rail System
▪ Quality Public landscape maintenance
▪ Roads repaired
▪ Not sure.
▪ Parks
▪ Library access and accessibility.
▪ Youth sports, parks, legal and political
support, prenatal services, preventative
healthcare, comprehensive healthcare
▪ I would like more services in financial
assistance for food.
▪ access to services in 93706
▪ Preventive Care Clinics
▪ Parks and trails
▪ Positive recreational and training
programs
▪ Medical and brick and mortar
▪ Homeless help and community clean up,
drug counseling and prevention
▪ Street cleaning
▪ Better parks in our area. More services for
teens.
▪ More sports programs for the youth.
▪ Jobs - Full Time, Senior Housing &
Educational Programs
▪ Affordable Childcare, Better Jobs (livable
wages)
▪ Walking trails, more housing (not apts),
stores or malls.
▪ Parenting services/childcare
▪ More enjoyment
▪ Access to quality preventative health care.
▪ More LGBTQ+ services. I have to go to
Visalia to get bi+ competent sexual health
screening
▪ Affordable housing
▪ Affordable housing, emphasis on
affordable
▪ Parks and common areas for events
▪ Convenience stores, parks and food
stands
▪ Intermediary opportunities for businesses
that do not have enough to rent premises
but want to continue growing. A shared
location for street vendors would be ideal
▪ We need more parks and safe schools and
specialized doctors

6. Which statement(s) best describes your current employment situation?

Working full-time
Working part-time
Looking for better job/wages
Retired
Student
Other
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 Other:
▪ Business owner Nearing retirement
▪ Childcarer
▪ Entrepreneur
▪ I work full time, and also run multiple business regarding housing for individuals facing homelessness and the elderly community
▪ I'm needing education so it's hard to find work
▪ Self employed and working as much as I want to at 73
▪ Self employed and working as much as I want to at 73
▪ Unemployed

7. In what business or industry are you employed?

Other:
▪ Arts and Culture
▪ Community Leader with Another Level Training
▪ Janitorial
▪ Non-Profit
▪ Philanthropy
▪ Printing
▪ Student

8. What is your occupation or job title?
▪ RN Care mgr and consultant
▪ Manager
▪ Consultant
▪ Appeals analysts
▪ Dental Assistant
▪ Program administrator
▪ Associate Environmental/Transportation
Planner
▪ Quality assurance management
▪ Information Technology Technician
▪ Data Analyst
▪ Insurance broker financial services
▪ Retired Educator
▪ Teacher
▪ Rerail
▪ Client Services Executive
▪ Development Program Manager
▪ Human Resources Technician
▪ Administrative assistant
▪ Human Resources
▪ Buyer
▪ house keeping
▪ I am a business owner
▪ Program Coordinator
Services
Education
Healthcare
Manufaturing or Transportation
Agriculture
Government
Construction
Other
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 ▪ Project Manager
▪ Research Analyst
▪ Educator
▪ Social Worker
▪ Retired Teacher
▪ CEO, Business Development, financial
officer, operator, caregiver
▪ Deputy
▪ Executive Director
▪ Business Intelligence Analyst
▪ Planner
▪ Retired
▪ Landscape Associate-Caltrans
▪ Executive Director
▪ Information Technology Consulant
▪ Mail Clerk
▪ Community Engagement Coordinator
▪ Management
▪ intern
▪ Business Development
▪ Director of Care
▪ Director
▪ None
▪ Mentor
▪ Care provider
▪ Facilitator
▪ Customer service clerk
▪ General Manager/ Division Manager
▪ Supervisor
▪ Final Assembler
▪ Health Care IHSS
▪ Resident Engagement Specialist
▪ Accountant - Care Provider
▪ Tax Examiner (Small business)
▪ Student
▪ Master Barber
▪ Program director
▪ City of Fresno Youth Job Corps
Ambassador
▪ Cleaner
▪ Officer
▪ Professor

9. What are the most important issues/concerns you have that the City of Fresno has the ability to address?

Quality of K-12 education
Personal safety
Property safety
Childcare
Unhoused persons
Housing
Broadband
Attractive, clean community
Historic preservation
Parks, open space
Most important Somewhat important Less important Don't know City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2

10. My favorite thing about living in Fresno is...
▪ Community
▪ Diversity of activities, zoo, my neighbors
▪ People
▪ The weather
▪ Central location in the state. The zoo & art
hop
▪ The live and let live attitude. I left Santa
Barbara and the oppression there. I love that
I bought a house while making $12/hr and
never get harassed by PD for being Hispanic.

Fresno means freedom
▪ Carne Asada tacos and Mexican orange fanta
▪ Family
▪ Being close to family and having access to
shopping near where I live
▪ My home in thr Tower District
▪ The people
▪ Its my home.
▪ The local community and supporting small
businesses
▪ Centrally located in CA, quick drive to
anywhere wonderful!
▪ Job and affordable living
▪ Nothing really . There isnt much to do
▪ Low cost of living. Ease of access to retail,
shipping, grocery, and restaurants. Quality of
entertainment options and sports. Great
university. Big city amenities without the
headaches of a San Francisco or LA.
▪ Different selection of activities and
entertainment
▪ The people and location
▪ Relatively affordable for California, central
location in the state, diversity in people and
food.
▪ Small town feel
▪ My family. That’s it. I hate it here.
▪ I never been anywhere else comfortable
▪ My job
▪ The Community in Tower, its so centrally
located-ocean, mountains etc
▪ Fresh produce, centrally located beweek
mountains, beach, SF and Southern Cal.
▪ Recreational opportunities and community
connection, cultural arts
▪ Traffic is not so crazy compared to bigger
cities (in my area of Fresno).
▪ distance from southern and northern
california
▪ The mix of different cultures that create a
truly unique community
▪ the family resources
▪ my family's roots are here.
▪ Fresno is a peaceful, more like a retirement
city. Fresno is a great city and when you give
it a general overview of the livelihood and
services provided you dont need to look any
further for your next permanent home
▪ The sense of community and being able to
get out of "town" quickly
▪ Distance to major hubs, mountains, beaches.
▪ The historic neighborhoods and retail
amenities
▪ No favorites
▪ Family history, abundance of produce,
proximity to mountains, beaches, other
destinations.
▪ The spring and fall
▪ Opportunity and growth, moderate costs of
living
▪ The people.
▪ The diversity of the residents.
▪ Cost of living and family.
▪ the diversity of individuals living within this
community
▪ The heart of the Community
▪ The opportunities
▪ Diversity in people and cultures
▪ Working with neighborhood watch
▪ Being around my family
▪ Vally
▪ Greenery/Housing/Education
▪ Close to family
▪ Personal, professional and family
connections
▪ Being able to own a home
▪ My community, my family and my friends.
▪ Community Services & Concerns for
Homeless
▪ Community Resources
▪ How diverse the community is.

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 ▪ Accessibility
▪ Fresno is home for me
▪ The multi-cultural people in Fresno.
▪ Location in CA.
▪ The number of grassroots orgs and public
library
▪ I love my city
▪ My community
▪ Easy to travel around
▪ People and medical insurance
▪ cost of living
▪ quiet place to live
▪ that the streets where I live are wide

11. My least-favorite thing about living in Fresno is... ▪ Homeless
▪ Crime and homelessness
▪ Homeless, crime, brunt of jokes. No major
newspaper and it’s cost
▪ The weather
▪ The homeless and prostitution by the zoo,
garbage piles everywhere, on Kearney.

There should be cameras to be able to
fine the contractor dumping garbage on
Kearney and Hughes.
▪ The bay area transplants calling the city,
PD, authorities on neighbors for dumb
things like trash cans being left out past
8pm
▪ Run down neighborhood
▪ Jerry Dyer and everything having to do
with the “One Fresno” concept…it
marketing and not action.
▪ The increase in homelessness in the
recent years.
▪ The influence of businesses (esp. out of
town owners) over residents in the
decision making process (esp. in SW
Fresno), which is also my biggest concern
that can be changed.
▪ Homeless crime trash lack of pride from
many for neighborhoods and people.
▪ Infrastructure needs
▪ Air quality is toxic! Lack of beautification
of business locations. Tacky signs
everywhere create visual pollution!
▪ Heat and air quality
▪ Too many abanded building and trash
everywhere.
▪ The politicians - Tyler Maxwell is the only
likable politician in the city. They continue
to serve their own self-interests rather
than those of the citizens. I also dislike the
lack of development in Downtown Fresno.

I worked there for many years and love
the area but am consistently frustrated by
the lack of strategic planning and missteps
concerning Downtown development. The
convention center NEEDS to be updated
to attract visitors and business and we
need more hotels in the downtown area.

Stop trying to get people to move down
there. People won't live there if they can't
do grocery or retail shopping within a 5-
10 min drive. I also dislike the weeds
along the freeways. Other cities have
brush and other greenery that are nice to
look at but ours are always over run with
dead brush and weeds. It's terrible.
▪ How poorly we advertise ourselves,
communities, and businesses
▪ The heat
▪ Endless hot days in summer . Sometimes
terrible air quality. Drugs, crime, and gang
issues, corrupt government and housing
development
▪ Lack of diversity
▪ The lack of care and concern for the
homeless. THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO!!!!!
▪ Crime no job training services Spanish
speaking
▪ How some areas of Fresno have been left
behind
▪ How much people are afraid to go to
Tower or Downtown. How Fresno has
such a bad "reputation"
▪ Trash and gangs
▪ transportation issues
▪ The lack of night life socializing options.
▪ air quality, birth outcomes
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 ▪ The lack of green space and the
disproportionate level of
investment/resources focused on North
Fresno
▪ lack of resources
▪ the hot summers. Fresno is getting hotter
each summer .
▪ Seeing the need for housing when there is
sufficient housing . The Community needs
to fight on bettering the individuals of the
city, and not the city itself
▪ The amount of litter on the roadways and
highways
▪ Air pollution and crime.
▪ Crime and the poor quality of landscape
maintenance on private and public land.
▪ The City is not taking care of west side
and the unhoused
▪ How run down and neglected the Historic
parts of our city are.
▪ The bad air quality, closed minded hr
policies for immigrants
▪ My representative
▪ The conservative politics.
▪ The lack of a cohesive community among
diverse groups and the lack of local
government making sure services are
directed towards the diverse
demographics.
▪ Lack of entertainment options
▪ the unhoused and the feeling of danger in
southern Fresno
▪ More opportunity and incentives that
help support middle class home buying
▪ The systematic disparities that affect black
people
▪ Poverty
▪ Street needs to be repaired
▪ Gun violence / gangs
▪ Na
▪ Jobs wages are low
▪ Drugs, homeless issues, safety, lack of
support from government and law
enforcement for "small issues"
▪ How horrible our roads are. I have
complained multiple times about the
potholes in the cracks. And the lack of
sidewalks, especially near Shaw Polk area.
it’s always really embarrassing when we
have family come visit and the Shaw Polk
intersection takes them 30 minutes to get
to our home and the roads mess up their
cars.
▪ The guns and violence and harmful
chemicals put out into the world.
▪ Wages/Jobs
▪ Homeless is becoming more of an issue.
▪ Nothing to do (entertainment)
▪ The amount of violence. Homeless
sleeping on highways, in front of stores,
banks, etc.
▪ The crime
▪ The lack of fair economic and educational
access between North Fresno and West
Fresno.
▪ The recent anti LGBT legislation at the
Board of supervisors level
▪ Not being able to find affordable housing
and help with sustainable living and other
social services
▪ Discrimination
▪ Urban sprawl
▪ Lack of public transportation, good, nice,
cheap
▪ How the government tries to ask for our
opinions. You never know if they really
took your comments into account or not.
▪ that we need more parks and green areas
▪ gangs

12. What would you like your city council representative to know about your neighborhood, your concerns, your priorities?
▪ Crack down on street racing and homeless
▪ Needs code compliance too many drunks
and drugs
▪ The garbage on Kearney, inflation is crazy.

I’m working poor single mom, don’t
qualify for any assistance programs can
not afford housing, live with my parents
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 2 and can still barely afford one trip to
grocery store a month. My neighbor is
disabled and brings me food from food
give always during the week. A lot of the
food are things we don’t use. I have
chronic back pain for past 8 years but
currently work. I don’t think I can
continue if working prevents me from
getting assistance for housing and real
groceries. Inflation is horrible really
affects working poor like me.
▪ Appreciate family, enjoy celebrating,
dance, be grateful, stay humble. Don't call
PD on happy people. People should only
call on criminals.
▪ Her lack of concern for the organized
residences will get her voted out of office.
▪ Potholes, crime, homeless
▪ That I appreciate the work they are doing
to improve the cleanliness of the city and
would encourage that work to continue.
▪ Crime, homelessness
▪ My priority is having everything I need in
walking distance, places to exist without
spending lots of money, affordable
housing for everyone, curbing sprawl,
phasing out industrial in residential
neighborhoods, and those in power to
understand how all of these are
connected.
▪ Homeless removed speeding on all
surface streets dealt from most drivers.

Crime. Thank you for this survey.
▪ I signed up for project 2 review
committee updates months ago so I could
stay abreast of district 2 happenings, but I
never got any feedback. How about
sending a newsletter via email like the
other districts? Maybe I missed the sign
ups.
▪ Homeless issues and street racing
▪ Roads and street lights
▪ Please keep our parks clean, schools and
neighborhoods safe.
▪ Provide sustainable solutions to our
communities, not quick fixes, and include
community input. I see an effort to try
and make District 3 more accessible, but
disregards the current residents and
businesses making it less desirable for
them and more vacancies to fill.
▪ Please seriously address issues with the
unhoused and petty property crime. Get
police officers out of their vehicles and on
bike patrol to really get to know the
citizens of the neighborhood.
▪ Safety
▪ Again. Help the homeless
▪ Where I stay at Motel Big Star
▪ I am happy with my neighborhood. Not
happy how our rep behaves many times
in his job function
▪ Well, I love my neighborhood.
▪ I love my neighborhood, but wish it was
incorporated into the City; city services
and attention would support our
neighborhood.
▪ Our neighborhood has too many homes
and little restaurants/food options.
▪ Black people are suffering in both districts
▪ homeless issues continue to be a concern,
need to look at providing MH services to
communities of color and marginalized
communities, like homeless
▪ The side streets in my neighborhood and
that of the next block need fixing.

Residents who have alleys in their
neighborhood should be educated on
keeping the alley clean. A city- wide
educational campaign would be beneficial
(for those Districts affected).

City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 3 ▪ The city of Fresno is a well known city
even in other states. This is where i will
always call my permanent home.
▪ My concerns are with the individuals of
the city and not the city itself. The city
provides more then sufficient services and
programs for the people it serves. Now its
all of question , if the individuals want to
receive the assistance . I, myself have
many plans for the city of Fresno, and
know that my plans and vision will bring
an overall betterment to the city, by
providing a wealthier, safer, attractive and
free city, and the reduction in the number
of homeless individuals in the city, and by
providing thousands of more jobs for the
city’s individuals.
▪ nothing at this time
▪ Package theft has become a major issue
at my residence I would also like to see
more effort by PW staff on the
establishment and maintenance of public
landscape areas. Code enforcement needs
to treat Fresgo requests seriously and
stop signing them off as complete when
they are not. They also need to be more
available and accountable.
▪ A tree issue that they used a bandaid
method instead of removing the tree. The
street that leads to the school needs to be
repaired. They barely fixed the pot holes.
▪ Preserve historical spaces and places,
plant more trees, designate Armenian
Town
▪ We need more walkable streets, more
bike lanes and more opportunities for
people to get around without car
▪ Focus on ways to make the lives of all
constituents better regardless of personal
beliefs, invest in resources and
development that meets community
needs
▪ If we treat libraries as just another place
where you can get a book, and
somewhere where, do you get to read
this book or do you not get to read this
book, as opposed to understanding that
library is a central public resource where
people go to get access to knowledge and
resources, we are doing a disservice not
only to libraries but ourselves.
▪ Libraries are among the last public spaces
where people can simply be without
having to purchase a good or service or
spend any money at all & public goods are
shared in common and distributed to
everyone. They exist. They are right here,
in our communities. And if we lose it, we
will not get it back for a very, very long
time.
▪ My neighborhood needs more trees,
more parks, more green spaces, overall
more and better appearance especially
because there are schools and the
children deserve to learn in clean and
healthy environments. More crosswalk
safety for the children too. More small
groceries, more businesses. More mom
and pop shops. The city needs to take
inventory of their lots and convert them
to quality housing of mixed use.
▪ Beautify. We need less homeless, more
beautification and more entertainment
options/restaurants/nightlife.
▪ I would like my city council representative
know that in District 7, it doesn't feel safe
to walk around outside or to just be
outside in general, and I would like
something to be done about that.
▪ We need more support for middle class to
purchase homes in the city where they
live.
▪ We need more safe space for dialogue
that are progressive
▪ Need more affordable housing
▪ Come to the people in the district more
often
▪ We need sidewalks
City of Fresno 2024-2029 CEDS – Appendix F – Public Survey Results Page 4 ▪ Homelessness, Drug uses and crime
▪ There is a lot of activity at night on the
streets.
▪ Crime rate is up, homelessness is worse,
not a safe place for children to play
outdoors anymore
▪ Dollar Tree at Fowler and Shields often is
horribly dirty and unkept. Store should do
a better job maintaining and cleaning.
▪ I would love if our city council would do
something about the speeding. Especially
near Teague elementary. I take my kids to
the park and library near there often and
have almost been hit multiple times while
crossing the crosswalk there. It’s
extremely dangerous and scary. Also, the
streets in the area are horrible. It would
be awesome if we could get them
repaved just like some of the richer areas
in Fresno I see.
▪ Cleanliness, building new affordable
homes. Schooling needs. Safety for kids
that walk home from school.

Transportation for the elderly for the ones
that can't afford it or aren't eligible.
▪ Homeless, mental health, housing
▪ It has been neglected for far too long.
▪ that we need more shopping centers and
grocery stores.
▪ The school violence, drunk driving.
▪ That there needs to be a stop to the crime
in Fresno.
▪ Crime
▪ Invest in more housing, schools, roads,
parks, CLEAN AIR, less industrial buildings.
▪ More LGBT safety and support especially
for trans people
▪ City Council members need to listen to all
of their voting constituents’ needs and
affording housing and overall sustainable
living has been an issue in this district for
over 20 years
▪ Homelessness and cleanliness of streets
and public areas. Need more trash bins
and places to dump large items
▪ There are no cultural events in district 2
▪ More money invested in the work of
artists, a focus on intermediary businesses
(between street vendors and those who
rent premises)
▪ the roads are in poor condition and the
air is polluted and there is more security
▪ When it comes to buying a house, rents
are too expensive. If you want to buy a
house, they ask for 10 percent for the
price of a house. That's because Fresno's
economy has gone up
▪ They must be people who are
knowledgeable about the topics at hand,
who dedicate time to people who have
questions.
▪ That there is almost no help for
homeowners and even less for Latino
people and we can never take the help
they offer because it is very difficult to
access those incentives and our
neighborhoods are the oldest and most
forgotten and they only give us industries
and never green areas. It is fair that they
should look at us and not only focus on
the northern area. I believe that we all
have the same right to live in decent
homes and we all pay taxes, but the south
is always the most forgotten area and full
of industries and that Reduce salaries
because everything is going up in the
basic basket and the salary only goes up a
little.

Fresno City CouncilMarch 21, 2024

Fresno City Council
March 21, 2024