Update, 6/21/2018: The City Council pushed back making a decision on this item until an unspecified date in July. Councilman Steve Brandau said PG&E needed more time to respond to the city’s request to place the item on the Local Register of Historic Resources.
When the owners of the old Herndon Substation Control Building applied for a demolition permit, the city checked to see if there was any historical significance to the Art Deco style structure built in 1931.
To the chagrin of the owner, both the Fresno Historic Preservation Commission and city staff want to place it on the Local Register of Historic Resources.
That owner is PG&E.
The vacant building is at 743 N. Weber Ave., between Highway 99 and the San Joaquin River in northwest Fresno.
Preservationists say the building is historic because the power it generated supported the growth of the region and its architectural style is unique.
A study commissioned by PG&E disagrees, saying that the removal of most of the power-generating equipment eroded the building’s integrity of design and workmanship.
It is now up to the Fresno City Council to decide the building’s fate Thursday (June 21).
