Fulton Mall, Fresno

Fulton Mall is a pedestrian mall and urban park that was established in 1964 by excluding vehicular traffic from six blocks of Fulton Street, along with portions of three intersecting streets. The mall was designed as the centerpiece of a transformative plan for Fresno’s downtown area by Victor Gruen and Associates, with Garrett Eckbo, a noted landscape architect, responsible for the modernist landscape design. Despite its initial popularity, Fulton Mall faced challenges due to the city's suburban expansion and the opening of the Fashion Fair Mall six miles to the north.

Fulton Street, originally known as J Street, has been a main corridor for business activity since Fresno's inception. The street saw the construction of several notable buildings, including the 10-story Helm Building in 1914, known as Fresno's first skyscraper, and the locally-founded Gottschalks department store. Other significant structures on Fulton Street include the 8-story Bank of Italy building (1918), the Rustigian Building (1920), the Radin-Kamp Department Store (1924), the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation Building, and the Warnors Theater, both from the 1920s.

The design of Fulton Mall was part of an early example of the masterplan-oriented thought process pioneered by Victor Gruen, whose ideas influenced the development of shopping malls across the United States. The mall's creation aimed to convert Fulton Street into a high-quality, dense activity pedestrian mall, reflecting Eckbo's modernist landscape design ethos. The area was adorned with sculptures by renowned artists, including "The Visit" by Clement Renzi, "Aquarius Ovoid" by George Tsutakawa, and the rare "Washer Woman" sculpture by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one of only six original bronze castings in the world.

Despite its historical and architectural significance, the Fulton Mall experienced a decline as Fresno expanded outward, drawing businesses and shoppers to suburban locations. However, the mall remains a testament to mid-20th-century urban planning and design, featuring a rich collection of public art and significant historical buildings that continue to be points of interest in downtown Fresno.