Fresno Commission Clears Path for Demolition of Fashion Fair's Former Forever 21

Fresno's Historic Preservation Commission voted 5–1 on Monday to strip away the last major regulatory shield protecting the former Forever 21 building at Fashion Fair Mall, ruling that the nearly 55-year-old structure at 755 E. Shaw Ave. does not qualify for the city's Local Register of Historic Resources and clearing the path toward its demolition.

Macerich, the mall's owner, and Dick's Sporting Goods representatives had told the commission at its February meeting that they plan to demolish the building to make way for a new Dick's House of Sport, and that the project cannot move forward without tearing the existing structure down. Dick's House of Sport is a larger-format version of the sporting goods chain, typically running 120,000 to 150,000 square feet and featuring outdoor turf fields, climbing walls, batting cages, and digital golf ranges.

The three-story structure was built in 1970 as a Weinstock's department store and has sat vacant since Forever 21 closed all its U.S. stores in April 2025 following a bankruptcy filing. Before that, it operated for more than five decades as a succession of anchor department stores: first Weinstock's from 1970 to 1996, then Gottschalks until 2009, and finally Forever 21 for roughly 14 years.

Andy Greenwood, VP of Development for Macerich, argued the mall's situation puts it ahead of industry peers: "Vacant anchor buildings is a significant issue in virtually every mall across the United States, and many remain empty and uncommitted today. We believe Fresno Fashion Fair Mall is quite fortunate to have a committed occupant within one year of Forever 21's closure."

An evaluation prepared by San Francisco firm Page & Turnbull at the city's request concluded that the Late Modernist building does not meet the criteria for Fresno's Local Register of Historic Resources under any category. To qualify for the local historic register, a building must be at least 50 years old and retain integrity in location, design, materials, and overall character, while meeting at least one significance criteria. The building clears the age threshold but failed on the other counts.

Commissioners had raised questions at the February meeting about the building's architectural integrity, its place among other Late Modernist structures in Fresno, and whether its role in the city's postwar commercial development might carry more weight than the report suggested. Commissioner Sarah Johnston emphasized the importance of not discarding aging buildings carelessly as structures turn 50 years old. Despite those concerns, five of the six commissioners voted against designation.

The commission's recommendation will now go to the Fresno City Council, which makes the final call on whether demolition can proceed. If the council concurs, Macerich and Dick's Sporting Goods will be free to move forward with plans that would reshape a property that has anchored Fresno's Shaw Avenue corridor since Fashion Fair became the city's first indoor shopping mall in 1970.