Herndon Avenue experiencing boom in construction

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Changes are coming to the Herndon Avenue landscape. Several developments are under construction, with realtors hoping more businesses will follow suit.

"With interest rates also being low it's also a good time for them to go leverage and borrow money and build these centers," said John Stewart, Pearson Realty President and CEO.

The Fresno and Herndon intersection will soon be home to a new Walgreens. At the corner of Herndon and Willow, Realty California representatives said this commercial space is still available. But just next to it an apartment complex is being built which could ignite the need for stores.

It's that very need that Stewart said spurred development to the east and west ends of Herndon Avenue.

"There was a lot of demand for retail in that part of town and a lot of houses and rooftops being built west of 99," said Stewart. "If you're going to Harlan Ranch, out further you're going to go by all these stores so the intercept theory is that is someone going to stop and shop before they get home."

Stewart said the boom in commercial retail developments is a trend he's seeing in the Central Valley, Bay Area, and even Southern California. Some places are even revitalizing older, sometimes abandoned, strip malls for big box stores.

"Location is driving where these tenants go and the type of demographics that they look for to put their centers in," said Stewart.