REPORT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
April 27, 2026
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: ASHLEY ATKINSON, AICP, Assistant Director
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Review the request to name the future North Fulton Parking Structure to the Carnegie Library Garage for consistency with Resolution No. 2020-272 (APNs: 46620650T and 46620651T)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the Historic Preservation Commission review the request to name the future North Fulton Parking Structure for consistency with Resolution No. 2020-272 (Assessor Parcel Number: 465-084-30T) and recommend to City Council the name “Carnegie Library Garage.”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Per Resolution No. 2020-272, requests to name City facilities are to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission before a decision is made by City Council (Exhibit A). The property generally located at Tuolumne and Broadway is planned for a new City parking garage currently known as the North Fulton Parking Structure. The City proposes naming the structure the “Carnegie Library Garage” in honor of the Fresno Carnegie Library that formerly stood on the site and was demolished in 1959.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno is developing a new public parking structure on a site of historic civic importance in Downtown Fresno (the block bounded on the north by Tuolumne Street, on the west by Broadway, on the east by Congo Alley, and on the south by the approximate location of Merced Street) (Exhibit B). The site is currently developed with a parking lot but formerly contained Fresno’s Carnegie Library, an early and significant public building that served the community for decades and represented a major investment in public education, literacy, and civic life.
Like many cities across the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Fresno benefited from the Carnegie library movement, which helped establish architecturally prominent public libraries as anchors of civic identity and community life. The Fresno Carnegie Library opened in 1904, designed in the Classical Revival style by architects Copeland & Dole of New York, and constructed at a cost of $30,000 by building AM Jones, funded by a 1901 Carnegie grant. As such, it was one of the earliest and most expensive of the Carnegie Libraries in California. This provided the Fresno Public Library with its first permanent library building. It functioned as a public library until its demolition in 1959.
The architectural design of the future garage draws inspiration from the former library on the site and the broader Carnegie Library tradition through design features such as arched faux louvers, vertical pillars, and a pronounced cornice, helping create a visual connection between the site’s past and future (Exhibit C). Additionally, the architectural details utilize the vocabulary associated with civic-oriented architecture and are intended to evoke the dignity and rhythm of historic library design (Exhibit D).
ANALYSIS
City Council Resolution No. 2020-272 requires all requests to name a City facility to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission prior to Council action (Exhibit A). The Commission’s role is to review for consistency with the intent of that resolution, namely, that no City asset shall be named after a cultural or historic figure known to be racist or bigoted. In this case the proposed name, Carnegie Library Garage, is intended to commemorate the historic library that once stood on this site and to preserve public awareness of that important chapter in Fresno’s history. The proposed name references the historic building formerly located there, rather than naming the facility after an individual.
The former library on this site was not only a building, but a defining civic institution in Downtown Fresno. It functioned as a place of learning, gathering, and public service and remains part of the historical memory of the area. While the original structure no longer stands, the site retains its importance as the location of one of Fresno’s foundational public buildings. The proposed name is historically grounded and site-specific. The name Carnegie Library Garage directly references the former Carnegie Library that stood on the site, thereby recognizing the history of the location itself. This approach helps ensure that the new facility does not erase the site’s civic past but instead carries it forward in a visible and accessible way. Importantly, the proposed name emphasizes the former library and the historic place, rather than naming the facility after a person. This distinction is meaningful because the purpose of the proposed name is commemorative of the site’s historic use and significance.
Naming the structure Carnegie Library Garage would preserve the story of the former library and reinforce the relationship between the new public facility and the historic place it replaces. The proposed name acknowledges this historic association in a respectful and accurate manner. It does not attempt to recreate the former building or imply that the new structure is a historic resource. Rather, it recognizes the historic use of the property and continues that legacy in the naming of a new civic facility.
Because the garage design includes references to the library’s architectural character, the naming proposal is appropriate and consistent with the project’s overall intent. These features help establish a visual and symbolic relationship between the new garage and the historic building that once occupied the property. As a result, the proposed name is supported by an architectural design approach that acknowledges and interprets the site’s history.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Commission’s review of this request is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as it will not result in a direct or indirect change in the environment.
CONCLUSION
Based on the available evidence and the civic importance of the former Carnegie Library on the site of the planned parking garage, staff recommend that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend to City Council the name “Carnegie Library Garage.”
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A - Resolution No. 2020-272
Exhibit B - Location Map
Exhibit C - Façade Design
Exhibit D - Façade Details