New apartments line a once blighted Tower District street

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A blighted stretch south of Fresno's Tower District has been replaced by a brand new apartment complex.

The art deco architecture offers the neighborhood along Fulton something different and a taste of Miami.

"Who would have thought South Beach kind of art deco coming to south Tower District and this is visionary and bold," Housing Authority CEO Preston Prince."

South Tower has opened 31 units including live/work spaces.

The affordable apartments range from $480 to $582 a month. The complex includes a community room.

Terance Frazier of TFS Investments partnered with the Fresno Housing Authority on the project.

"You have 3,000 cars that are going down Fulton street that are going to your Downtown so I want to make sure we dress up Fresno and this is part of dressing it up," Frazier said.

Six years ago Frazier gave the Fultonia Complex a makeover.

He stayed there for three weeks and ended up buying two run-down properties across the street.

"It was terrible," Frazier said. "I was like I don't want my people to wake up, get ready to go to work and they have to constantly look at that eyesore."

So, he tore down the homes, kept the eucalyptus tree, put in a playground and built 541 @ South Tower around it.

"Terance actually has had a vision for this community for some time and he keeps pushing, pushing, pushing," Fresno City Council Member Oliver Baines said.

All of the apartments have already been leased.