About Us

Mission Statement

Fresno fusion is an online community dedicated to facilitating adventurous entrepreneurs, fostering creativity, and restoring the vitality that Downtown fresno once posessed.

Craig Scharton

My interest in revitalization issues started in about 1986.A group of Tower District businesses and residents organized to oppose a proposed multi-story building at Van Ness and Alhambra. We were successful in convincing the City Council to defeat the project, but our district representative had supported it. I decided to run against him at that council meeting.

I was elected to represent the District 1 on the Fresno City Council on May 5, 1987. Shortly after Election Day, one of my advisors, former Mayor Dan Whitehurst asked me what my priorities were…I said downtown, the Tower District and the San Joaquin River. He described Fresno as “an informational island…very little gets in and very little gets out.” He suggested that I begin to call city managers, mayors and developers in other cities to find out what they are doing. I followed his advice and visited many downtown leaders within my first four months.

While on the council I organized a neighborhood meeting, help at the Good Company Players. Revitalization options were discussed and the neighbors voted to pursue a Specific Plan. I placed the funding for the plan, about $125,000 on the Council agenda, and it passed unanimously. Les Kimber and I picked members from the community to sit on the plan’s advisory committee. Committee members were involved in every aspect of the plan including the selection of planning consultants. The Tower District Specific Plan was Fresno’s first neighborhood conservation plan, and it included the identification and protection of historic buildings, and design review.

I also spent considerable time on issues relating to downtown including: trying to have the new city hall located on the Fulton mall, preferably in refurbished historic buildings, trying to get the UC Board of Regents to consider a downtown location for the Valley’s campus (now UC Merced).

After my time on the council, I opened a consulting office in downtown’s Fresno Station. I began to work toward a downtown revitalization plan with Los Angeles developer Wayne Ratkovich. We put together a plan that generated widespread community and city council support, but most of the items died somewhere within the bureaucracy of city hall. The plan did designate the site which now houses Chukchansi Park and after years of fighting, we were able to get Van Ness restored to two-way traffic (it used to just go north).

I attracted investors and we purchased the Security Bank Building for $618,000. I managed the building for 4-5 years and lived on the 15th floor, with my son Cole, for 2 years. Another group of investors and I purchased the T.W. Patterson Building for $585,000. I was the General Managing Partner of that building. During my time with the buildings, we had dramatic increases in tenancy, and we received a federal loan for the renovation of the Security Bank building of $3.8 million. While at the TW Patterson building we opened the second floor to artists and created Patterson Hall, an all-age club which featured live music.

During this time I was also involved with the Downtown Association Board. I become Board President and at my first meeting, we decided to pursue entry into California’s Main Street Program. We did achieve Main Street Certification, although after a few years the DTA and the City stopped their full participation in the program.

After selling my interests in the two buildings, I accepted a position in Pleasanton, California to head their downtown revitalization organization. During my time there we increased our budget by 400%, created a festival highlighting local businesses called the First Wednesday Street Party (which continues today), a downtown Specific Plan, Design guidelines, and downtown historic walking tour, downtown business directories (mailed to every household), and we received Main Street Certification.

After a trip to Italy with my son, I decided that I needed to be closer to home. I accepted a job in Hanford, California. Hanford became a certified Main Street Community. We instituted new events like the Thursday Night Market Place, Holiday Wine and chocolate Tasting and Hanford /blues Festival (which all continue to draw people to downtown Hanford). We instituted a façade improvement program.

During my time in Hanford, former Governor Gray Davis removed funding for the California Main Street Program form his budget. I worked with the other 39 Main Street communities to organize a new nonprofit corporation, to keep the Main Street network alive. Our inaugural meeting was in the owners’ box at Grizzlies Stadium, and I was elected president by my colleagues. We instituted an annual network meeting to keep legislators aware of our program and progress (which continues to happen every February). Assembly Woman Nicole Parra carried our first legislation for our eventual funding, and was named Legislator of the Year by the California main Street Alliance and California Downtown Association.

In 2003 I was hired by One by One Leadership, a nonprofit focused on urban issues in Fresno. During my time at One by One I was able to start the process of creating urban districts (including the Cultural Arts District) and to get funding from the California Cultural and Heritage Endowment for Fresno’s historic Helm House.

I have had the opportunity to represent the 40 Main Street Communities and California at national conventions. I have had the opportunity to speak at state and national conferences on a variety of revitalization topics. I have owned 3 historic homes and was a partner and manager in 200,000 sq. ft. of historic office buildings. I have been a consultant to several of downtown organizations, board retreats and other community meetings. I have worked with hundreds of downtown businesses.

As an adjunct professor, I have taught a class called Urban Entrepreneurship through Fresno’s Lyles center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship over 3 semesters. The class has been widely recognized and was featured at the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship national conference.