New stores coming to southeast Fresno after 20 years of planning

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Exciting news for those living in southeast Fresno.

Construction of the new Target store at Fancher Creek Shopping Center began Tuesday off of Belmont and Clovis avenues.

Construction comes after two decades of planning.

Karen Valles who lives across the street says she has been waiting for any store to come to the area for years.

“I was raised in this area. And so when the garages went up, they sat there and we were all excited. Nothing happened. Now I live here, but things are happening, and we’re excited,” said Valles.

She and her neighbors now have several other stores to look forward to.

A new Sprouts store is under construction and building will soon begin on a Michaels and PetSmart.

Mayor Jerry Dyer says he understands the wait for the shopping center has been close to twenty years but that will be over by next October.

“In 2008, 2009, 2010 when the recession hit things slowed there were a lot of things behind the scenes and then the pandemic hit and supply chain issues but put all that behind us,” said Dyer.

Fresno City Council Member Luis Chavez says with the new store people in the area will no longer have to drive across town to go to Target.

“From South East Fresno to the nearest Target it is 7.8 miles we will now have something that is half that distance,” said Chavez.

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