Perhaps I'm skipping far too ahead. But this morning, as I'm digesting the news that Gottschalks will close after being sold to a liquidator, I've found myself wondering one thing: What's gonna happen to that fancy newish G-Thing building at River Park?
You can't just stick a Kohl's in that thing. That's a big space, a prominent one too. And it sure would look funny sitting there all empty. So whattya think? Once this economy turns around and businesses are expanding instead of retracting, what could go there?
Crate & Barrel? Fry's Electronics? Cabo Wabo dos? The biggest Deli Delicious ever?
milano north.
I'm so glad that Gottschalk's is out of business. The Riverpark store was such a waste, it's worse than Mervyns. This is what they get for not keeping up with what people actually wanted to buy, and stinking up Riverpark with Grandma's moth balls.
HOPEFULLY Riverpark and Fashion Fair will have some sense and put in a department store that people actually want to shop at, I dunno, maybe something that actually is UPSCALE?
Ikea?
Dear god, please let it become the country's largest Medieval Times. Red Knight FTW!
Ikea or Fry's would be AWESOME!
I don't think an IKEA would fit, That'll have to be out at Herndon and 99. I think Bloomingdales or Nordstroms would do nicley.
Dollar Tree?
Another Walgreen's
lol, you're my favorite.
falles paredes.
hahahahahahahahahaha dude keep Falles Paredes on the down low...
Yeah, Walgreens seem to be popping up everywhere, huh?
How about a one-side Walgreens, one-side RiteAid mega pharmacy.
And, yes, that place is too small for Ikea.
What about Dave & Busters, multi-level?
ESPN Zone
Dave and Busters would be cool. I don't think there is enough parking given that P.F. Chang's is right next door.
But I'm not sure how they will find anyone for this anytime soon. Hell some of the storefronts are still empty. How about they just raze the damn thing and give us some more parking?
Fry's Electronics! That's a place we can use around here, specially after Comp-USA closed. Best buy needs some healthy competition.
best buy blows, let's get frys!
i'm tired of buying at newegg when I need a computer part, or trying to find it at a local store, best buy is overpriced. boo hisss booo!
A mini-Ikea would be great!!
Crafters Palace!
Dave and Busters would be PERFECT for Granite Park, but I wouldn't necessarily put it at River Park. Then again, I'm not the brilliant developer of suburban sprawl that is Fresno. For the Gottschalks spot, I'd love to see a chain like Crate and Barrel but I doubt thats realistic. More likely we'll get a Dollar Store. We'll protest and lament that its there, but then we'll shop there and love it and it will be the best dang Dollar Store in town. As long as its not a church.
Fresno Bee online teams new office! The beehive team could be based out of there too.
Bloomingdales or Neiman-Marcus!!
A roller derby track for NoTown, Valley Fever and the Gypsy's!!!
crate and barrell!!! that would be awesome!
I think a Nordstrom store would be ideal for River Park. I was told once by a Nordstrom rep they wouldn't build because Gottschalk's was the competition. Maybe once the economy straightens out they will look at Fresno since the bus trips taken from here to the Bay Area are always full!
How about a giant Circuit City?
Maybe a huge Linens 'n Things?
The worlds largest Mervyn's?
Flagship store for Comp USA?
Fry's would be awesome.
Heck, they could do two different stores, one on each floor. Why not?
hmmmm...
Judging by trends in rest of town:
If Clovis pushes West?
-cowboy clothes and boots store.
If downtown pushes up?
-Flea Market
-Taco Joint
(or if Tower gets aggressive in expansion)
-Thai Restaurant
-Tattoo Parlour
(maybe all of the above?)
(I'm really hoping they'll set up hay bails and build an Indoor Racing Track (Midgets?) but that would be too much to ask...)
I say put a huge ass Swap Mall like the one that is in the old Gottschalk's building on the Fulton Mall! Isn't that the way City Council handles vacant buildings!?
Cherry Auction pt. 2
How about a housing shelter for all the people who are losing their jobs because of this?
(heather)
tsk tsk. -don't you know?
-po-folks 'visit' up there and shop,
maybe work,
but not
'live,'
(...well unless you count PineDale (or) camping out at BestBuys for Black Friday.)
So I've been pondering this one for a little while now. Half the comments are funny - half serious...
I'd like to see a Nordstroms or Neiman-Marcus come to town, but when I think of my own budget I would feel bad asking for something that I can't afford to support.
I'd like Whole Foods to come to this side of town actually, but would that put Bentley's out of business?
Also, personally I don't understand how we can have TWO Starbucks in one parking lot and yet the lamest 1 level parking garage ever.
Maybe it's better I just stay in my house anyways.
Maybe the can house Travis' lame a$$ jokes. there seems to be a ton of them.
@Bino
good news...
My jokes are being liquidated. Now you can pick them up at bargain prices and still have cash left over to buy a Spell Check CD from the Video Professor
the "the" should be "they", my bad
Wow. How embarrassing to have to go back and correct your spelling to clarify meaning when you're trying to be a douche to someone.
IKEA!
Fry's please
Most of the businesses mentioned wouldn't take the risk. Wal-Mart should purchase it and make it into a higher-end (but cheap!) clothing store. Lord knows most of the clothing from Gott's was Mervyn's quality, at best.
Mega Church?
Spearmint Rhino?
GOP West Coast Headquarters?
Sean John Mega store?
How about the largest Rick's Cabaret in the country that would be sweet right next to rivepark!
How about a sweet Incredible Pizza?
A KMJ store.
Big enough for a Bass Pro? How bout a giant indoor skate park?
I'm torn: two story roller rink, or really awesome natural history museum? Hmm.
we can't even keep the Met open... I'm not sure another museum is the right way to go... But a two story roller rink sounds fun.. maybe they could even put a banked track in for the Derby girls...
A Vans skatepark would be great in that place. And believe me, you don't want a Bass Pro there...
Actually I like the idea of a national history museum. They layout of G's would work well with that. But hell, the developer would never go for that. It wouldn't bring in the money.
My concern is for the people who lost their jobs.
As for my opinion: anything they put in there will house future landfill anyway.
I love Michael's idea. However, let's be honest, Fresno ( hell, while I'm being insulting let me switch that and just state "most of society") puts no value on anything that could even be confused with (real) education or the bettering of the inner self. Everyone wants something they can buy.
I spoke to several high-level officials for thier input into this project:
Chief Dyer is anticipating building a new jail there on the second floor, and a warehouse for 180 brand new BMW motorcycles on the first floor.
River Park Officials want to use it as a security base with snipers on the tiptop to ensure no teenagers will be on premises after 10pm.
Mayor Swearengin wants it to house the headquarters for the Independent Police Auditor and his/her staff. The second floor would be used to store the voluminous boxes of files just for this year's cases alone.
Ex-Mayor Autry would like to place the homeless there. And THEN destroy it.
Jeff Eben wants it to be another one of his homes so he can run for Mayor of Pinedale.
Craig Scharton and Travis plan to turn it into 'Fulton Mall North' and expand Fresno even further north so they can finally call River Park 'Downtown' and avoid a ton of work on their part.
Creative Fresno plans to build 28 bars there for weekly bartender competitions. They'll finally raise enough for thier mural, which will be done over 14 years on the ceiling.
John Welty plans a new library there, one that can actually hold the weight of all the books. Unfortunately, the Bulldog Donors already plan to build a new weight room there and are calling it the Chukchansi Tarkanian Sports Lifting Center. Tark himself will do his radio show from there, as long as Mike Shirinian will deliver food for free.
The City of Fresno has already approved a 15 million dollar loan for expansion of the building, based on a business plan written on Fresno Met stationary while at a meeting at Cabo W--er, I mean, Memphis Barbis.
Scott Johnson has been hired to handle said expansion. Stacy Johnson-Klien has already retained Warren Pooboohoojian to sue the new expansion building.
And the winning idea?
The Mike Osegueda Center. A multi-use series of bars with live music. Sorta like that place (in Bakersfield??) where there are several different bars in one big building. Dueling piano bar, a huge country bar/dance floor/Roller Derby room, a nice wine bar upstairs (with a sushi counter), a great Martini bar with live jazz, and a happenin' club/bar to rival all the northside crap we already have.
Best part? HMac drinks free.
Nice...very funny...I like your jokes...hey, Bino, do you like Stephen's jokes?
Oh man, Stephen!! THE funniest thing I've read all day!
How do you manage to be so clever!?
I am officially laughing to myself at work much to the dismay of my coworkers.....Stacy Johnson-Klein is gonna sue the expansion!! Priceless!
That was priceless! Thanks for the late afternoon much needed laugh!
Mike Osegueda Center. That has a nice ring to it...
Might we also have suspensions of the WFOTW participants in the foyer?
Unemployment office. They need the extra space
OMG THAT has to be the best idea yet! Brilliant! Unemployment office....hahaha
make it into a beehiver clubhouse, haha!
Walmart!!
OMG!! I didn't know Fresnobee.com was THE place for laughs!!
Seriously, Dave & Busters, Vans Skatepark, Medieval Times, ANYTHING that would bring entertainment to Fresno.
Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Nordstroms... really? Fresno is not an ideal market for these department stores. Our nicest department store in Fresno (Macy's) is borderline Kohls quality!!!
But realistically, it'll be vacant for years and unfortunately will be the downfall for riverpark. MARK MY WORDS!!
...downfall of riverpark?
(right, they don't have anything else up there.)
There were empty stores there before, they just had huge photomurals on the windows, (I recall a lot of life-sized NYC imagery... (which I loved, btw.)
Even if it is vacant for years (which I doubt it will be,) -it will not be the downfall of Riverpark.
the Riverpark location can now be used just like the original downtown location on the Fulton Mall as a 'Discount Swap Mall'.
but really it could be used for a 'Hard Rock Cafe' Fresno'
MMA Fights!
how about another starbucks?? Or maybe 2 or 3 more starbucks
Dillard's would be a perfect fit, particularly at Fashion Fair, and Nordstrom could possibly fit in the River Park location.
I like the Nordstrom's or Dave and Busters ideas a lot!
Although the unemployment office expansion makes sense too, sadly.
I am surprised Gottschalk's lasted as long as it did. They just didn't have a good thumb on what the consumers wanted to buy. So many polyester tops at high markups. No thanks.