About Us
Utilizing the corporate structure of the Downtown Association of Fresno founded in 1955, the Downtown Fresno Partnership (DFP) was organized in 2010 when property owners voted to tax themselves through the new Downtown Fresno Property and Business Improvement District (PBID) and establish an elected governance structure.
The Downtown Fresno PBID (see map) contains 352 parcels under a combination of private and public ownership, all of which pay an annual assessment. The adopted Management District Plan defines PBID benefits and assessment rates, and the current district is authorized through 2032. DFP operates the PBID as its legally recognized owners' association; the PBID comprises DFP's main funding source; and property owners within the PBID elect most of the positions on DFP's board of directors. For more on PBIDs in state law, see California Streets and Highways Code §36600 et seq.
Answering the need for private leadership and coordination, DFP works passionately to take on challenges and create opportunities in Downtown Fresno that provide shared benefits, but are beyond what any single owner would do alone.
DFP’s programs and services put its team in contact with Downtown business owners, property owners, workers, and residents every day. Activities include substantial day-to-day maintenance and operations, and sponsoring Downtown events from large to small. Through external channels including its high-engagement social media presence, DFP ensures tenants have access to promotional opportunities and keeps the public informed as both customers and revitalization supporters. DFP serves as a key pipeline of information delivered by hand, email, and text throughout Downtown Fresno, and convenes regular meetings to help stakeholders stay informed and collaborate. By consistently providing value, DFP builds trust and rapport with its served community.
From the outset of the PBID, property owners envisioned it providing not just tangible benefits, but a structure for collaboration to give Downtown a clear voice and a positive force greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore beyond the day-to-day, as a collaborative entity accountable to its members, DFP is uniquely positioned to organize Downtown around larger economic strategies that help property and business owners as a whole be more successful and drive forward a vigorously improving Downtown for Fresno and the Valley.