Fresno's Mexican Consulate is on the move

Last week on ABC30's "Latino Life" show, Consul Reyna Torres Mendivil told Action News Anchor Graciela Moreno the move to North Fresno would be a big plus. "We're moving from Downtown to the Northern part of Fresno. We're going to be able to provide better services to the community."

The director of Fresno's Downtown Redevelopment, Craig Scharton believes the move will be a loss for downtown. "Absolutely, I mean the great thing about downtown is they are melting pots. Having that international flavor and celebrating who we are and our diversity is a big part of our plan for downtown Fresno. "

Scharton also believes the downtown location better serves the people who use the consulate. He says it's closer to other government services and offers better freeway and public transportation access.

The consulate hasn't revealed their new address but it is in the area of Alluvial and Ingram in Northwest Fresno, where there are plenty of empty buildings.

We asked some folks visiting the consulate for their opinions on the move. Tayde Solis said, "Well for me it's easier because I live by Herndon and Blackstone, but for most of the people it's going to be hard because they come from out of town."

Street Vendor Miguel Lucio said the move won't be good for him because he probably won't be able to peddle his cart to the new location. But he added that if there's a parking lot it will be better for those who have to constantly feed the parking meters while waiting hours for service in the consulate.

A consulate spokesman told us they have nothing against downtown, it's just that they need more space, and better parking. But Scharton is disappointed. "We tried to reason with the consulate and say this is the best place to serve your constituents and for some reason, I think they want a more prestigious address."

In addition to serving Mexican Nationals, the new consulate will serve as a cultural center for the entire region.

The move from downtown to northwest Fresno is expected early this summer.