After more than 80 years, Downtown' Fresno's Eaton Plaza is slowly being realized.
As a member of the Fresno City Council in 2002, I was overjoyed when my Council colleagues approved my action to allocate $750,000 from the California Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Act to have San Francisco-based MPA Design develop a plan for Downtown's Eaton Plaza. The Council's decision gave action to a Downtown plaza proposal created in 1918 by Charles Henry Cheney in his "Progress of a City Plan." Cheney's plaza idea was updated in 1966 as part of the City's Master Development Plan. In 1988 the yet-to-be-developed plaza was named for Edwin M. Eaton, president of Guarantee Savings and Loan from 1928 to 1956. Eaton also served on the County Planning Commission and was the President of the Fresno City and County Historical Society for several years. In 2001 Eaton Plaza was officially approved by the Council as an integral part of the 2010 Downtown Plan.
Following the Council's 2002 direction and working with a citizens group of civic, business and governmental leaders with strong ties to the Downtown Area, MPA Design developed and presented several conceptual schematics to the stakeholders and the general public at numerous open house meetings. With stakeholder support, MPA developed a single Eaton Master Plan proposal and an accompanying Phase One construction proposal which provided for a 300-seat amphitheatre, irrigation, and turf and shade trees. MPA also prepared a five-year implementation plan .
The Council approved the five-phase plan to develop the Plaza (located between the Fresno Public Library on Mariposa and the Fresno Water Tower at Fresno Street) over a five-year period. Phase One, 14,920 square feet in size, is the beautiful $500,000 amphitheatre, completed in 2005, used extensively by the City's Parks, Recreation and After Schools Department as well as the general public.
The design engineering for Phase Two is in process. This second phase of Eaton Plaza will feature a landscaped area with an outdoor theatre stage, dressing rooms and seating. Construction should begin soon.
Phase Three plans call for extensive landscaping and a passive picnic/relaxation area. Phase Four's main feature is an interactive water fountain in which children can play on warm Fresno days. Phase Five includes extensive off-site landscaping improvements to enhance the Mariposa Mall area that currently divides the Fresno Public Library from Eaton Plaza.
Phases Two through Five will be funded with City Parks bonds: Phase Two, 28,500 square feet, is estimated to cost $1,084219; Phase Three, 29,000 square feet/off site 2,515 square feet is estimated at $629,748; Phase Four, $54,740 square feet, is estimated to be $2,916,998; and Phase Five, 32,000 square feet/on site 240 square feet, is estimated at $1,010,915. The Five Phase Eaton Plaza Block Area, a total of 130,400 square feet, is estimated to cost $6,138,879 at final build out.
Unfortunately, there appears to be delays in moving forward. Phases Two through Five were planned to be completed within five years of the completion of Phase one. It is quite obvious that this will not happen since Phase Two is still in the design phase with an uncertain construction date. Phase Three, Four and Five have an uncertain funding status. The question is, therefore, after 80 years of waiting, how much longer will it take to realize Charles Henry Cheney's 1918 dream of a major plaza in Downtown Fresno?
For additional information on Eaton Plaza, contact City of Fresno Councilmember Cynthia Sterling at 621-8000; Mr. Patrick Wiemiller, Public Works Director, at 621-8650; Mr. Randy Cooper, Director, or Mr. Jerry Haynes, Assistant Director, Parks, Recreation and After School Programs at 621-2900; and Mr. Craig Scharton, Director of Economic Development and Downtown Revitalization at 621-8350.
Coming attractions...
1) Whither the Fulton Mall? 2) The incredible shrinking newspaper.
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