New Starbucks Under Construction Near Gaston Middle School in Southwest Fresno

Construction crews have broken ground on a new Starbucks at the corner of Church Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in southwest Fresno, immediately adjacent to Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School. The company plans to open the store during the summer of 2026, placing the location in operation before the 2026-2027 school year.

As of Feb. 24, 2026, crews were actively working on the site at Church and MLK, erecting framing and preparing the lot that sits beside Gaston Middle School. The parcel’s proximity to the middle school makes the corner one of the more visible commercial spots along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Freeway Drive and Marks Avenue.

The planned summer 2026 opening sets a clear timeline for construction and fit-out. A Starbucks store ready by summer would be in place for back-to-school traffic for students and staff at Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School, which occupies the adjacent campus. That timing also aligns with warmer months when outdoor seating or patio work typically concludes for new quick-service sites in Fresno’s climate.

The Church Avenue-MLK intersection has seen incremental commercial development in recent years, and the addition of a national coffee chain marks a notable change for southwest Fresno retail on a block that serves families near Gaston Middle School. The new store’s address at Church Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard places it within a short walk for households on the south and west sides of the school campus.

City building activity records indicate the site moved from planning to active construction in early 2026, and project crews are expected to continue work through the spring into summer 2026 to meet the planned opening window. Neighbors traveling along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard should expect construction traffic and equipment at the Church Avenue corner until the store is completed in summer 2026.