1.-LL. ID 22-613 Actions Pertaining to the Acquisition of property at 1247 North Wishon (APN 451-265-02) and 777 East Olive Avenue (APN 451-265-03)
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines for the project.
2. Approve a Resolution Establishing a Policy for the Preservation and Use of the Tower Theatre Property and Authorizing Purchase of the Tower Theatre Property.
3. Approve a Joint Litigation, Defense, and Indemnity Agreement by and between the City of Fresno, the Tower Theatre Entities and Sequoia Brewery
4. Approve a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions by and between City of Fresno, Tower Theater Productions, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, and Tower Theatre Productions for the Performing Arts for real property at 1247 North Wishon (APN 451-265-02) and 777 East Olive Avenue (APN 451-265-03) for $6,500,000.
5. Approve a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions by and between City of Fresno and J&A Mash & Barrell, LLC., and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company for a portion of the real property at 777 East Olive Avenue (APN 451-265-03) for $1,200,000.
I strongly oppose the sale of Tower Theatre to the city of Fresno. It is illegal, immoral, and unethical on so many levels. I'm angry and saddened that the city would use my tax dollars for their own agenda. Rather than improving parks, roads, inflation, gangs, gun violence, drug addiction, and homelessness the city wants US to spend millions of dollars to keep a well loved church out of the Theatre and pay for legal fees and loans for their benefit. Wow!! The misuse of your power, authority, and management is alarming and disheartening.
The beloved Tower District is supposed to be an area that's all inclusive yet the city is fighting to remove a church from there specifically. We have the right to religion... everywhere besides Tower Theatre? Is that the message? It's baffling that this type of reckless corruption is allowed and encouraged. Wake up people of Fresno!
As a tax payer I feel played, and as a member of Adventure Church I feel bullied. It's no wonder why Fresno is the way it is and is going to continue that path if this passes. You should be ashamed of yourselves Mayor Dyer, city council, and FPD!
I strongly OPPOSE! I’ve lived in Tower District almost 10 years and having a church in my neighborhood is the best thing that has happened for the community. The City of Fresno has so many unfinished projects, it has a bad track record of misusing tax payer money. The City is willing to use tax payer money to buy a building by interfering with a private sale. The Mayor said that only 95% of Fresno cares about what is happening with the theater. Well what about the 5% that does care, are they not good enough to fight for? You can have anything and everyone in Tower, just not a church. That’s the message being put out. I oppose 110%.
Adventure Church needs to follow zoning law as my own church is expected to do. The City must be careful with the precedents it sets; enforcement following these broken laws or buying the theater for historic preservation are the first steps the City must take to regain the trust of the public, as well as protect the Tower neighborhood’s economy and culture.
As a Catholic, I recognize when churches occupy spaces in which they don’t belong. This is happening in the heart of Fresno’s entertainment corridor that cultivates the human and fiscal capital that spurs innovation, diversity, and tax revenue.
As a student of urban policy, Adventure Church’s refusal to adhere to land use and zoning laws is silly, myopic, calculated, and insulting to the residents in the Tower District.
Lastly, Adventure Church’s cooperation with Proud Boys, radicalized extremists, and its dangerous homophobic slant will foster urban blight in the Tower District.
I oppose the City of Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. We should be using our tax dollars for more positive changes in our city. I have worked downtown for almost 20 years and seen our issues with homelessness and crime. How about using our taxpayers money on affordable housing units, addressing our mental health population, building more safe parks for our children, hiring more officers to prevent crime. Let Adventure Church finalize the purchase and use funds on more important items that need to be addressed.
I am in favor of the city purchasing the Tower Theater and keeping it as a Historical Building. Allowing a Church to break zoning laws has hurt this community long enough. Their support from extreme right winged groups is disgraceful and the support the FPD has shown in their favor has been disappointing. Fresno needs to enforce all laws equally and not favor and one business. This isn't a real church, this is a business using God to make tax free money.
I support the City of Fresno’s purchase of Tower Theatre. Keep producing art and culture for the community in this building, free from religious views and impositions.
My family lived in the Tower District for 9 years and still frequent the neighborhood and establishments there regularly. We support the city's acquisition of this property to ensure the integrity of the neighborhood plan is kept intact and the community we love is no longer threatened by those who seek to change it.
I oppose the City if Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. This is a misuse of taxpayers dollars. There are serious issues in Fresno that do not seem to be getting as much attention and or support as this. Do better Fresno.
I oppose the City of Fresno spending taxpayers money, already allocated for measure P AND using it to further their own agenda. From my understanding Tower Theater will continue to be a venue the way it has always been. Adventure Church is using the theater 5 maybe 6 days of the month. What makes sense in this whole situation.
I support the purchase of Tower Theatre by CoF. Fresno residents deserve to have an arts district free from religious influence and law/zoning-breakers. CoF ownership will ensure that the theatre is well cared for and maintained, and that the building is used according to its lawful purposes. Happy to have my district 6 tax dollars support this.
I oppose. The City is attempting to take away an opportunity from one of our own local establishments.
Having grown up in Fresno there are a lot of other areas that can use this money.
I oppose the use of my tax dollars to fund this purchase to appease a few members of the community. The money could be better spent in hiring police officers, funding schools, or fixing our roads.
I support the purchase of Tower Theater. As a new resident of the area who moved here to care for my parents as they age from an area I loved, Tower District is a place we love & gravity toward here. We have attended concerts at the theater & enjoyed the restaurants near by. I think the City of Fresno would be good stewards of this landmark. When we told people we were moving here they would always recommend Tower & it’s landmark. The culture & atmosphere Tower has is unique to this area. It needs to be encouraged & protected. It is not something that can be recreated as areas like these are only able to exist organically and take generations. Having the City of Fresno purchase Tower would mean accessibility for the community to use the space for more events that have arts & cultures to see Tower grow. Thank you for your time.
I oppose the City of Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. We should be using our tax dollars for the good of the city(homelessness and law enforcement). I also oppose the City lending out tax dollars to a business. If your going to do for one, you should give all businesses a loan.
OPPOSE.
It should be the owners right to sell to whoever they want to sell too.
I oppose the interference of a private sale and misuse of taxpayer money
I oppose the City of Fresno purchasing the Tower Theater and assuming financial responsibility through Joint Litigation, Defense, and Indemnity Agreement by and between the City of Fresno, the Tower Theatre Entities and Sequoia Brewery.
I feel the city needs to use our tax payers money on things that are important like fixing the roads, hiring more officers to try to control these gangs, our city doesn’t need the city to be a loan office for sequoia brewing, why didn’t the city give loans to these businesses that had to close down due to Covid I didn’t see any mention on trying to help keep them open but cause the church wants to keep tower theatre as their home church city wants to step in isn’t it bad enough we have DUI deadly accidents from alcohol and you want to help another place that don’t care about drinking and driving as long as they make money that’s very sad that we have people on the board that feel the same way as sequoia brewing
I strongly oppose the sale of Tower Theatre to the city of Fresno. It is illegal, immoral, and unethical on so many levels. I'm angry and saddened that the city would use my tax dollars for their own agenda. Rather than improving parks, roads, inflation, gangs, gun violence, drug addiction, and homelessness the city wants US to spend millions of dollars to keep a well loved church out of the Theatre and pay for legal fees and loans for their benefit. Wow!! The misuse of your power, authority, and management is alarming and disheartening.
The beloved Tower District is supposed to be an area that's all inclusive yet the city is fighting to remove a church from there specifically. We have the right to religion... everywhere besides Tower Theatre? Is that the message? It's baffling that this type of reckless corruption is allowed and encouraged. Wake up people of Fresno!
As a tax payer I feel played, and as a member of Adventure Church I feel bullied. It's no wonder why Fresno is the way it is and is going to continue that path if this passes. You should be ashamed of yourselves Mayor Dyer, city council, and FPD!
I strongly OPPOSE! I’ve lived in Tower District almost 10 years and having a church in my neighborhood is the best thing that has happened for the community. The City of Fresno has so many unfinished projects, it has a bad track record of misusing tax payer money. The City is willing to use tax payer money to buy a building by interfering with a private sale. The Mayor said that only 95% of Fresno cares about what is happening with the theater. Well what about the 5% that does care, are they not good enough to fight for? You can have anything and everyone in Tower, just not a church. That’s the message being put out. I oppose 110%.
Adventure Church needs to follow zoning law as my own church is expected to do. The City must be careful with the precedents it sets; enforcement following these broken laws or buying the theater for historic preservation are the first steps the City must take to regain the trust of the public, as well as protect the Tower neighborhood’s economy and culture.
As a Catholic, I recognize when churches occupy spaces in which they don’t belong. This is happening in the heart of Fresno’s entertainment corridor that cultivates the human and fiscal capital that spurs innovation, diversity, and tax revenue.
As a student of urban policy, Adventure Church’s refusal to adhere to land use and zoning laws is silly, myopic, calculated, and insulting to the residents in the Tower District.
Lastly, Adventure Church’s cooperation with Proud Boys, radicalized extremists, and its dangerous homophobic slant will foster urban blight in the Tower District.
I oppose the City of Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. We should be using our tax dollars for more positive changes in our city. I have worked downtown for almost 20 years and seen our issues with homelessness and crime. How about using our taxpayers money on affordable housing units, addressing our mental health population, building more safe parks for our children, hiring more officers to prevent crime. Let Adventure Church finalize the purchase and use funds on more important items that need to be addressed.
I am in favor of the city purchasing the Tower Theater and keeping it as a Historical Building. Allowing a Church to break zoning laws has hurt this community long enough. Their support from extreme right winged groups is disgraceful and the support the FPD has shown in their favor has been disappointing. Fresno needs to enforce all laws equally and not favor and one business. This isn't a real church, this is a business using God to make tax free money.
I support the City of Fresno’s purchase of Tower Theatre. Keep producing art and culture for the community in this building, free from religious views and impositions.
My family lived in the Tower District for 9 years and still frequent the neighborhood and establishments there regularly. We support the city's acquisition of this property to ensure the integrity of the neighborhood plan is kept intact and the community we love is no longer threatened by those who seek to change it.
I strongly oppose!!!!!
I oppose the City if Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. This is a misuse of taxpayers dollars. There are serious issues in Fresno that do not seem to be getting as much attention and or support as this. Do better Fresno.
I oppose the City of Fresno spending taxpayers money, already allocated for measure P AND using it to further their own agenda. From my understanding Tower Theater will continue to be a venue the way it has always been. Adventure Church is using the theater 5 maybe 6 days of the month. What makes sense in this whole situation.
I support the purchase of Tower Theatre by CoF. Fresno residents deserve to have an arts district free from religious influence and law/zoning-breakers. CoF ownership will ensure that the theatre is well cared for and maintained, and that the building is used according to its lawful purposes. Happy to have my district 6 tax dollars support this.
I oppose. The City is attempting to take away an opportunity from one of our own local establishments.
Having grown up in Fresno there are a lot of other areas that can use this money.
I oppose the use of my tax dollars to fund this purchase to appease a few members of the community. The money could be better spent in hiring police officers, funding schools, or fixing our roads.
I support the purchase of Tower Theater. As a new resident of the area who moved here to care for my parents as they age from an area I loved, Tower District is a place we love & gravity toward here. We have attended concerts at the theater & enjoyed the restaurants near by. I think the City of Fresno would be good stewards of this landmark. When we told people we were moving here they would always recommend Tower & it’s landmark. The culture & atmosphere Tower has is unique to this area. It needs to be encouraged & protected. It is not something that can be recreated as areas like these are only able to exist organically and take generations. Having the City of Fresno purchase Tower would mean accessibility for the community to use the space for more events that have arts & cultures to see Tower grow. Thank you for your time.
I strongly oppose
I oppose the City of Fresno purchase of the Tower Theater. We should be using our tax dollars for the good of the city(homelessness and law enforcement). I also oppose the City lending out tax dollars to a business. If your going to do for one, you should give all businesses a loan.
Thank you for proposing a solution that preserves the Tower Theater as a historic performance venue.
OPPOSE.
It should be the owners right to sell to whoever they want to sell too.
I oppose the interference of a private sale and misuse of taxpayer money
I oppose the City of Fresno purchasing the Tower Theater and assuming financial responsibility through Joint Litigation, Defense, and Indemnity Agreement by and between the City of Fresno, the Tower Theatre Entities and Sequoia Brewery.
I feel the city needs to use our tax payers money on things that are important like fixing the roads, hiring more officers to try to control these gangs, our city doesn’t need the city to be a loan office for sequoia brewing, why didn’t the city give loans to these businesses that had to close down due to Covid I didn’t see any mention on trying to help keep them open but cause the church wants to keep tower theatre as their home church city wants to step in isn’t it bad enough we have DUI deadly accidents from alcohol and you want to help another place that don’t care about drinking and driving as long as they make money that’s very sad that we have people on the board that feel the same way as sequoia brewing