Fresno's once-lively Tower District is now dark, silent, and struggling to survive

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the last several months, it's been lights off at Fresno's Tower District.

Streets once filled with the sound of live entertainment and crowds remain silent as businesses do what they can to stay afloat.

"Now you go out and look and it is dark in all these places and it is really heartbreaking," said Frank Delgado, Marketing Director at Lucy's Lounge. "It is very, very heartbreaking."

The entertainment industry continues to be hit especially hard.

Prior to the pandemic, Lucy's Lounge was offering live music seven nights a week.

Delgado said the entertainment brought in business and gave musicians an opportunity, but lately, live acts are left empty-handed and Lucy's Lounge is temporarily closed.

"I see the musicians that used to play here and everybody is in a very tough place," said Delgado.

It's a similar situation at concert venue Fulton 55, which has remained closed since March of last year.

"You see your friends in the industry in this town, across the country, and across the world and a lot of them are not surviving," said General Manager Tony Martin.

Martin said they were supposed to celebrate their 10-year anniversary this year.

Instead of planning a big celebration, he's looking at ways to cut costs.

"None of the refrigerators are on, there is no WiFi," he said. "We have cut every corner we could."

Martin still has a sold-out concert on the calendar for March, that he's hoping he'll be able to reschedule.

Delgado, on the other hand, is asking the community to continue supporting the Tower District so it can survive the pandemic.