With land leveled, what’s going on at that busy downtown Clovis corner?

DECEMBER 12, 2016 8:17 PM

BY MARC BENJAMIN

Clovis City Council approved land deals and agreements Monday night to pave the way for the Landmark Commons project that includes a new Fresno County Public Library, senior center and transit hub.

The 5.7-acre property at Clovis Avenue and Third Street was bought in 2015, tenants were relocated and property leveled. When complete, the project will cost about $25 million. The vote was 4-0.

The series of agreements were for land purchases and exchanges near Clovis Avenue and Third Street to build parking, allow access from Clovis Avenue to the development and allow a Saint Agnes Medical Foundation clinic in the new senior center.

City Council Member Bob Whalen said he supported the “creativity” of the agreements and appreciated the improved parking.

“I am really excited about the continued prospect for the senior center, transit hub and the library,” he said. “What’s important to me is that we have plenty of parking for our seniors.”

The medical clinic will take up about 4,000 square feet in the proposed 25,000-square-foot senior center with a separate entrance, said Andy Haussler, economic and community development director. It will be an opportunity for seniors to participate in activities, and get meals and medical checkups at one location, he said.

“They are still working on what they will provide,” Haussler said.

The added parking also will accommodate Old Town Clovis visitors.

An agreement with an adjacent hotel owner will allow the city to gain an access point from Clovis Avenue. A second agreement was a land exchange with the owner of a pipe yard north of the property. The exchange allowed both of the “odd-shaped” properties to be squared off, Haussler said. Both agreements are no cost to the city.

An agreement with the Clovis Veterans Memorial District, which plans a museum at the corner of Clovis Avenue and Third Street, will add 55 parking spaces that can be used by both the city and the district. Under the agreement, the city will pay $100,000 and provide engineering services.

“We have an opportunity for more parking in Old Town and we’re going to go for it,” he said.

Fresno County Public Library is paying a bulk of the library project’s costs, but the city also will chip in money under the plan. The transit hub is being paid for with grants and the senior center is a city-funded project.

In the agreement with the Saint Agnes foundation, the city will receive $500,000 down to cover five years of rent and Saint Agnes will make all tenant improvements, Haussler said. After the fifth year, Saint Agnes will pay rent at the market rate, which is estimated at $100,000 annually.

The city is in the process of selecting an architect and still must prepare environmental documents, which are expected late in 2017. Fresno County officials are working with the city on architectural concepts for the library.

The proposed senior center will be more than twice the size of the existing one and the library will be about four times larger.

The existing senior center is being considered as a library for the San Joaquin College of Law. The library site likely will become part of Clovis city offices.

Although the city has had discussions with the law school and the county about how the existing buildings could be re-used, no agreements have been reached with either entity, Haussler said.

The council also honored Mayor Nathan Magsig in his final meeting. He will be sworn-in as a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 9.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article120542688.html#storylink=cpy