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Building History

Architect Edward T. Foulkes (1874-1967), who operated architectural practices in San Francisco, Oakland, and Fresno, CA, during his career, designed this grand Italian Renaissance-influenced hotel for a syndicate of local businessmen who comprised the Fresno Hotel Association. In 1910, A.V. Lisenby was the Secretary of the Fresno Hotel Association. The City of Fresno granted a building permit to Lisneby's group in 1910, and the building was completed three years later. The Hotel Fresno became an important component for civic boosters to highlight, a first-class hotel with modern conveniences fit for tourists and visiting businessmen. As was noted in the National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the hotel: "A building permit was issued to the Fresno Hotel Company in 1910. In 1912, the Fresno Morning Republican noted the near completion of the hotel. On the evening of 8 January 1913, the Hotel Fresno held its formal opening. The following night, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce became the first event of its kind to be held in the hotel's banquet spaces, making it come alive with 'boost' and 'boosters.' Claimed as "one of the most modern hotels in the west" and the "largest hotel between San Francisco and Los Angeles," "modem in every detail," featuring "all outside rooms," and an "elegant automobile bus [that] meets all trains," the Hotel Fresno and those who ran it, intended the community from both near and far to make the hotel their 'headquarters.' Not only was the Hotel Fresno a social mecca for tourists and residents alike, but it contributed architecturally to the city of Fresno. It initiated the development of Fresno's downtown high-rise skyline. The Hotel Fresno's ornamental cornice could be seen for several blocks upon completion of the building's construction in 1913." (See Jennifer Hembree and Emily Vance [MacRostie Historic Advisors, LLC,] as quoted by Historic Fresno.org, "National Register of Historic Places Nomination form for the Hotel Fresno," accessed 12/17/2019.) The building's cost was approximately $200,000. (See "Buildings," Engineering News-Record, vol. 63, no. 21, 05/26/1910, p. 220.)

Foulkes worked with F.J. Amweg, who served as the hotel's general contractor. The Brandt Brothers of Fresno were the plumbing and heating sub-contractor. The building stood seven stories tall, and contained 250 guest rooms, 136 had their own bathrooms. (See "The New Hotel Fresno," The Valve World, vol. X, no. 66, 06/1913, pp. 184-185.)

The building operated as a hotel until the late 1960s. The hotel remained empty for about 30 years, beginning in the early 1980s, at which time vandals damaged the building's interior and exterior. The Fresno Bee.com said of its history: "Between the 1940s and 1960s, the hotel and its immediate area underwent renovations, street realignments and multiple ownerships. By 1969, the hotel was a home for senior citizens, and the owners were losing tens of thousands of dollars each month on repairs. The senior citizens were evicted in 1983, and the building has been vacant ever since, falling victim to vandals and break-ins." (See Brianna Calix, Fresno Bee.com, "This abandoned historic building in downtown Fresno soon will be home for 79 families," published 07/02/2019, accessed 12/17/2019.)

In 07/2019, renovation efforts to led by Los Angeles developers Eugene Kim and Lefeba Gougis of APEC International were scheduled to begin to turn the abandoned hotel into 79 affordable apartments, ranging in size from 500 to 1,200 square feet. This project was set to cost $26.5 million and be completed by late 2020.