The City of Fresno and FUSE are working together to help Downtown and Chinatown capture the full value of several major investments arriving at once. Chinatown has been a cultural and commercial hub since the 1870s, but redlining, racial covenants, and surrounding highways left these neighborhoods isolated and underinvested. Now, California High-Speed Rail plans a Downtown stop, the City has secured funding for a Chinatown real estate investment trust, and the United Soccer League has agreed to build a stadium Downtown that will host new women’s and men’s teams. The challenge is making sure these projects reinforce one another and deliver real benefits to the residents and business owners already there.
Beginning in November 2026, FUSE Executive Fellow Semere Paulos will build relationships with City leadership, investment partners such as USL, philanthropy, High-Speed Rail, and private capital, and community members with an emphasis on BIPOC families and business owners. From there, Paulos will support the stadium’s progress, including final negotiation details, construction cost tracking, sponsorships, financing, and branding, while also bringing in mutually reinforcing investments like housing, hotels, transit links, and anchor businesses. By October 2027, deliverables will include stadium investment coordination, a district investment strategy, Downtown and Chinatown ecosystem coordination, partnership development, and a transition roadmap. The City and Fellow will use Year One progress to shape a Year Two scope focused on deepening impact and long-term outcomes.
