We’ve shared the information with others and looked to see what kind of feedback would we actually be getting and what do we need to address.”

“We’ve welcomed anyone to come in and tour, and media request that we’ve had we’ve welcomed to come in. “It is not uncommon knowledge that we are moving there,” Kirkland said. Kirkland said he discussed community outreach with Maxwell and took measures to make it publicly known that Club One intended to move to Granite Park. Maxwell’s push for more community outreach drew a question from Councilman Garry Bredefeld to Kirkland: Did Maxwell previously ask him to do community outreach? Once that is completed, Maxwell would remove all reservations from approving the permit he said after being pressed by colleagues repeatedly.īefore making those remarks, the City Council held a lengthy public hearing in which dozens of people spoke during public comment, including many former Club One employees who are hoping to return to work. “I do want to express to you the one cardinal sin that was committed, and that was the lack of outreach to the community around Granite Park Sports Complex,” Maxwell said.

However that support was conditioned on Kirkland and Club One officials conducting more community outreach with neighbors in the surrounding area. The other? A half-supportive statement from Maxwell, whose council district includes Granite Park. Two exceptions? Esmeralda Soria, whose fiancée – developer and Granite Park operator Terance Frazier – serves as a conflict leading to her recusal from the issue. One after another, five of Fresno’s City Council members voiced their support for Club One to move to Granite Park.

It couldn’t have proven to be more different. The pandemic closure led Club One co-owner Kyle Kirkland to reevaluate the business and decide that a move out of the long-time location downtown was best.įollowing an initial hearing before Fresno lawmakers two weeks ago, it seemed as if the council’s approval would be a mere formality on Thursday. Instead, the cardroom is facing a demand from Councilman Tyler Maxwell for more public input despite no public opposition to their relocation.įresno’s lone cardroom, based in the heart of downtown Fresno for 25 years, was shuttered last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears that more than an hour of emotional appeals from out-of-work blackjack dealers, cooks, servers and support wasn’t enough to sway the Fresno City Council to approve Club One Casino’s highly-anticipated proposed move to Granite Park on Thursday.

Fresno casino fight