Fresno preservation panel finds 755 East Shaw (Fashion Fair anchor) not eligible for historic registers

At its evening meeting, the Fresno Historic Preservation Commission voted 5–1 to find that the anchor building at 755 East Shaw Avenue — part of Fashion Fair Mall and most recently occupied by Forever 21 — is not eligible for listing on the Fresno local register, the California Register or the National Register of Historic Places.

The decision followed a staff presentation and an updated historic resource evaluation by Page & Turnbull, which concluded the three-story late-modern commercial building (built 1969–1970) does not meet criteria for individual designation. "Based on the evidence… the building does not appear to be individually eligible for local or state designation," consultant Christina Dicus Brookes told commissioners, citing extensive alterations (entrance remodels, window-wall infill) and the fact the design was a standardized model used at multiple locations.

The commission's ruling matters because an eligibility finding would affect future environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and could constrain…