Featured Projects

MLK Park

Serving the community of Southwest Fresno, the park will provides over 10 acres of open space with amenities that include flexible green space, picnic area, park restroom and children’s play area inspired by the Sierras. The park is designed to incorporate a variety of future park programs to be built out over time. The central feature to the park’s landscape is the ‘Park Peak’ – a prominent sculpted landform providing views over the park and surrounding neighborhood.

The park is designed with the environment in mind. A blue-green network of tree-lined pathways and linear bioswales provide a framework of shaded paths and spaces that provide an integrated response to our changing climate. Native oaks will complement the park Loop – a continuous multi-purpose ‘paseo’ that runs along a planted swale will create space to convey, treat and detain stormwater. This network of routes creates an ideal space for jogging, fitness activities, seating, and other entry spaces connect to the neighborhood’s streets – enhancing the pedestrian experience, park access, and community safety.

Among the hillside slope, the children’s play area takes inspiration from the ‘Sierra Plateau’ – incorporating large stone boulders as climbable edges as well as shade and seasonal color from native planting. Children can slide down from atop of the Park Peak, allowing kids to have a playful experience spinning in the stream and climbing on river rocks. The California Brown Bear wooden play structure stands tall as a central figure to the play area.

As one of several Transform Fresno Greening Projects, the facility is part of a significant investment to the community and is the central open space to the West Creek Village Master Development that includes two facilities within the park extents – the Connective Impact Community Center and Iconic Museum. The Park’s vision is founded on the principles of Community-Centric Design, Accessible Green Network, Design with Nature, and creating a Model Park for the Future.

Herndon Avenue widening at BNSF

Roadway improvements will widen Herndon Avenue from two lanes to three lanes in each direction between North Milburn and North Polk Avenues. The widening will add a standard shoulder, a Class I bike path, pedestrian trail along the north side of the roadway, and widen the existing bridge over the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. Herndon Avenue between Milburn and Polk Avenues is one of the last remaining four-lane bottlenecks in a regional circulation project between State Route 99 and DeWolf Avenue. This project will remove the bottleneck and improve circulation along Herndon Avenue, closing a gap between terminating Class I bike path/pedestrian trails on either side of the overpass, increasing the safety of both pedestrians and bicyclists.

Dolores Huerta Park

Dolores Huerta Park will be a new 4.5-acre park to be constructed on the northeast corner of Milburn and Dakota Avenues. The park will provide green space, playgrounds, dog park, skate park, jogging track, multi-use courts, splash pad, shade structures, picnic areas and landscape amenities. The project will also include street improvements to provide safe access to the park.

Veterans Boulevard

The Veterans Boulevard Project includes the construction of a new six-lane super-arterial roadway in northwest Fresno; an interchange at State Route (SR) 99, with a grade separation over the realigned Golden State Boulevard and grade separation of future California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) tracks and existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) track; a northern extension of Veterans Boulevard to Herndon Avenue; a southern extension of Veterans Boulevard to Shaw Avenue; a 12’-wide Class I multipurpose trail; and installation of adaptive intelligent transportation technology for traffic synchronization.

Overall project work was split into the following design and construction phases to accommodate scheduled utility relocations, expedite existing funding, and create appropriately scaled opportunities for local contractors to participate in the construction work:

Phase 1 – Bullard Extension – (Complete) Phase 1 includes extending Bullard Avenue to Veterans Boulevard and storm drain improvements.

Phase 2 – Veterans Grade Separation – (Under Construction) Phase 2 includes the UPRR and CHSRA grade separation; the southerly jug handle (“J1” as identified subsequently) connecting Veterans Boulevard and realigned Golden State Boulevard; reconstructing Carnegie Avenue to eliminate an at-grade UPRR crossing and; embankment and partial street improvements between the Veterans Boulevard/Bullard Avenue/Riverside Drive intersection and the UPRR/CHSRA grade separation.

Phase 3 – Veterans Interchange Project – (Under Construction) Phase 3 includes: The Veterans Boulevard/State Route 99 interchange; the northerly jug handle (“J2” as identified subsequently); Veterans Boulevard overcrossing of Golden State Boulevard, and; completing Veterans Boulevard between Wathen Avenue and the Veterans Boulevard/Bryan Avenue/Barstow Avenue intersection. This phase also includes the extension of Sierra Avenue to Bullard Avenue.

Phase 4a – Veterans South Extension Project – (Complete) Phase 4a includes: extension of Veterans Boulevard from the Bryan Avenue/Barstow Avenue intersection to Shaw Avenue; and a box culvert at the Herndon Canal.

Phase 4b – Veterans North Extension Project – (Future) Phase 4b includes: the extension of Veterans Boulevard from Wathen Avenue to Herndon Avenue; modifications to Hayes Avenue between Herndon Avenue and Veterans Boulevard, and; improvements to access between Veterans Boulevard and Herndon Avenue.

Phase 5a – Veterans Multipurpose Trail from Hayes to Herndon – (Complete) Phase 5a includes the Class I trail improvements along Veterans Boulevard from Herndon Avenue to Hayes Avenue.

BNSF Blackstone McKinley Grade Separation Project

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City of Fresno BNSF Blackstone McKinley Grade Separation Project

The City of Fresno has awarded a contract to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) for professional engineering services for the design of plans and general construction contract documents for the BNSF Blackstone McKinley Grade Separation Project. The Project is being supported by funding from Measure C and will allow the City of Fresno to create a double grade railroad separation at the busy intersection located just east of Fresno City College. The grade separation Project will eliminate the existing at-grade crossing of the BNSF tracks at North Blackstone and East McKinley separating train traffic from vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Current conditions at the intersection include:

An average of 29 trains per day
Average daily traffic on Blackstone includes 16,742 vehicles, 154 passenger buses, and 17 school buses
Average daily traffic on McKinley 13,948 vehicles, 46 passenger buses, and 32 school buses
210 crossing gates down, blocking events with an average of 2-minutes 48 seconds of delay over a 5-day period
Four deaths over the last ten years

By moving vehicle traffic to an underpass below the BNSF tracks, several roadway improvement objectives are accomplished including increasing capacity, decreasing traffic flow interruptions, improving safety, decreasing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, and reducing vehicle-train conflict and delay. The average delay will be reduced at the intersection improving traffic operations, reducing traffic congestion, and lowering motor vehicle emissions. The separation will improve emergency service response times, eliminate train horns, and increase railroad operational efficiency.

The Project will support the City’s Southern Blackstone Smart Mobility Plan and will be compatible and build on the “Better Blackstone” initiative. The “Better Blackstone” initiative is intended to diversify and improve land uses along the corridor, make it more pedestrian friendly, and improve its aesthetics. The City is committed to the community driven vision and framework identified in the Southern Blackstone Smart Mobility Plan. Guiding principles for the design work includes:

Identifying safety improvements and access for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclist, and transit riders
Creating a sense of place and identity, embracing Fresno’s rich history and diversity of culture
Providing opportunities for incorporating a mix of pedestrian-oriented retail, office, and residential spaces
Providing opportunities for gateway improvements and wayfinding signage

The construction of the grade separation is expected to begin in Spring 2026 and is anticipated to complete by Spring 2029.

Capital Projects Department is available to answer questions at (559)621-8880 or [email protected]

For funding information on this project visit FCTA’s website at https://measurec.com/bnsf-grade-separation/

Southeast Regional Park

Southeast Regional Park

A new 49-acre park to provide green space and amenities for passive and active recreation for the Southeast Fresno community. Development of the park will be divided into three phases, with construction of Phase 1 to begin by Fall of 2024. Phase 1 will include the southwest section of the park, along Peach Avenue and Geary Street, and will include open green space, a central plaza area with picnic tables and shade structures, an artificial turf sports field, playgrounds, parking, and restroom facilities.

Fire Station 12

New Fire Station at 3315 West Ashlan to replace the existing fire station located at Marks Avenue and Acacia Avenue, which was built in 1977. The new Fire Station 12 is larger and strategically located to better serve the Northwest Fresno community. The station will include four pull-through apparatus bays and house a company of eight firefighters two captains, and one Fire Chief.

Fire Regional Training Center

The Fire Regional Training Center will be built at the State Center Community College (SCCCD) First Responders Campus at Willow Avenue and North Avenue. The training center will share facilities and programming with SCCCD and include an administrative and classroom building, a three-bay fire apparatus storage building, a six-story training tower with Class B burn rooms, and a one-story residential burn building with Class A burn rooms. The site will be master planned for additional training facilities to be added in the future.

TCC Projects

Chinatown

Funded by the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant program, the Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and Chinatown Urban Greening projects aim to enhance the pedestrian infrastructure in Chinatown. This will be achieved by installing streetlights, planting trees, reconstructing curb ramps, crosswalks, filling sidewalk gaps, and reconstructing China Alley. These enhancements will be implemented along F Street from Fresno to Ventura, Mariposa Street, Kern Street, and China Alley.

Mariposa Plaza

The Mariposa Plaza Activation project revitalizes a significant downtown plaza. The upgrades encompass tree planting, landscaping, lighting enhancements, the installation of permeable paving, two stages, a shade structure, and related utility improvements. The plaza will continue to serve its historical purpose as a gathering place for public speaking and community events. (Picture Attached)

911 Call Center

The new 911 Emergency Call center will be built at the Fresno Municipal Service Center, replacing the existing call center located at Fresno Police Headquarters. The call center will be outfitted with new call stations provided by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The facility will be built to accommodate staffing levels to meet the City’s projected emergency response needs over the next 10-15 years.