Cap-And-Trade Funded Fresno Projects Mostly on Track
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www.thebusinessjournal.com UPDATED DAILY AUGUST 21, 2020 thebusinessjournal.com the FOCUS | 10 Business of Sports - Soccer project planned for Visalia Cap-and-trade funded the EXECUTIVE PROFILE | 11 Fresno projects mostly on track Donald A. Promnitz – STAFF WRITER and-trade-funded initiative to create greening and Covid-19 has done much environmentally friendly to disrupt day-to-day life community construction and commerce across the projects, remains in full swing. country, but it hasn’t put a stop The Fresno City Council voted Ben Siebert to an ongoing, state-funded last year to enter into a financial President and CEO project to transform some of agreement with the state to Planet Solar Design and Installation Fresno’s most underprivileged begin the Transformative neighborhoods. Climate Communities Transform Fresno, the cap- PHOTO CONTRIBUTED | Digital rendering for the Chinatown Housing Project, one of multiple the LIST | 9 TCC | 6 projects on the docket for the cap-and-trade-funded Transform Fresno initiative. The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens top the Senior Living list This Week Online 7 People on the Move 16 Leads 8, 12-13 Public Notices 20-24 Opinion 26 BUSINESSES IN TENTS Party rental companies see slight uptick in pandemic by Frank Lopez PAGE 5 SENSITIVE TIME PRIORITY HANDLING PERIODICAL: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 ISSUE # 325742 $1.25 PER COPY USPS 145-100 WELCOME AS OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR FOR Exhausted, tired, unfocused while working from home? The Launchpad at River Park offers an alternative solution! A Safe, Secure, Low-Contact Business Environment. A perfect location to grow your business! 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Meal plans don't usually include many local hospitals for tents and other people rent a lot of tents for their With the tent set-ups, Featherstone’s eating in a restaurant parking lot in equipment, including Valley Children’s outdoor parties. barbers could give up to about 30 triple-digit weather. But with the Hospital. “Hopefully these closures end soon, haircuts a day — about a 1/6 of the disruption caused by the coronavirus, “Our business model started things can go back to normal and business they were doing before the diners are willing to give it a shot, and to change, transitioning to more everything doesn't have to stay closed tangle of the pandemic. restaurants are willing to do what it equipment rentals and temporary for another year,” Marcelo said. For a proper set-up with the tents takes to capture any revenue they can. shelters, and that's what we’ve It’s not just restaurants and hospitals and coolers, Featherstone said the In March, Gov. Newsom ordered the continued to pick up on,” Viramontes using tents. Other industries with upfront cost alone is about $4,000. closing of all non-essential businesses, said. tighter restrictions are utilizing rental “Going outside, we are just as clean including bars, wineries and They are also renting out tents to tents as well. obviously, but it’s just a lot more work restaurants. Outside and patio dining restaurants, including Pismo’s Coastal In a reversal move in July, Newsom and set up,” Featherstone said. “I have is still allowed, as well as take-out and Grill, Yoshino’s, Heirloom, Yardhouse, allowed personal care services — hair, to bring my crew in an hour early, I’ve curbside pick-up. TGI Fridays and more. makeup, nails, and skin salons and got to lug these heavy chairs outside Restaurants and bars did open up for In the past few weeks, Viramontes barbers — to provide services outdoors. on a dolly, and we got to bring out the indoor dining briefly in mid-July, but said he is seeing the demand go up in Shampooing and coloring outdoors is coolers and toolboxes. We’ve got to because of a large increase of Covid-19 tents for churches. still banned. basically create a barbershop outside infection rates, Newsom ordered them Even with the uptick in tent rentals, Tye Featherstone, founder and CEO and then put it all away at the end of closed once again. the business is still not seeing sales from of the Great American Barbershop, the night. We can’t even work into the Since then, restaurants are trying table, chair, and dishware rentals. The with locations in Fresno, Clovis, Visalia night. We pretty much shut our list to make ends meet by using outdoor company is expecting a 50% drop in and other California cities, has also down at 11 a.m. or noon because of the dining areas. Some have gone as far as revenue this year. begun using tent rentals to provide weather.” setting up tents in their parking lots for After weeks of exposure to the sun services, but they don't provide enough diners to be able to sit down and enjoy and elements, the tents will eventually room to be able to serve as many clients a meal. start to break down. As soon as they as when the shop was open. Though the business community is start to be hit with rain and wind, Featherstone also put some swamp Frank Lopez | Writer can be reached at: 490- waiting for things to go back to some Viramontes said the cheaper tents will coolers in the tents to keep the 3465 or e-mail [email protected] semblance of normality, the disruption rip apart. has led to a higher demand for outdoor “We hope that we can adjust to tents. the new climate and adapt, and In April, customers at 40 retailers, be innovative with the new rental including Walmart Inc., eBay Inc. and products that we will come out with Home Depot Inc., spent 47% more on next year, making sure that cleanliness party tents and event canopies than is a huge emphasis on our business,” they did last year, according to research Viramontes said. firm Edison Trends. John Marcelo, co-owner at Rent- The response from restaurants A-Tent Party Rentals in Fresno, runs during the pandemic has pitched tent- the business with his wife. He said rental businesses up for some new they’re hanging in there in the face of activity. cancellations and postponements until At Expo Events & Tents, a party next year. equipment rental service company in They are renting out to a few bars for Fresno, Operations Manager Michael their outdoor dining, restaurants and Viramontes said at the beginning of churches just for the business to stay 2020, the team had forecasted great afloat. sales with a lot of events booked. Come “We advertise and go and talk to the March, events began to get postponed owners of certain businesses and offer or cancelled. our services. Some people are pretty The rental company services a lot tight on cash and can’t afford it right of trade shows, traveling all over the now, so we try to stay as affordable as country for set up. That stream has all possible for them,” Marcelo said. but dried up this year. In the summer Rent-A-Tent is busy “Because we are so heavily in trade with weddings, quinceaneras, and shows, it really hurts. We lost half of our small children’s parties as well. revenue in a month. Not to mention Because of state restrictions on there were people looking for their large gatherings and social distancing deposits backs — cash flow nightmares,” guidelines, customers are ordering Viramontes said. smaller tents and fewer chairs. The busy season for the party rental As countless other businesses did in side of the business runs from April March, Rent-A-Tent went around three to June, and dies off until it kicks back months without any reservations lined up from September to November. up, with most of their clients cancelling Viramontes said they had just been their events between March and July. coming out of a “dead time,” December Marcelo still expects to eventually get Pro-Screen Print, Signs, and Graphics has expanded our to March. When they were swinging as busy as they were last year, saying services to oer greater digital printing capabilities all under back into their busy season, the virus that people are getting fed up with one roof. Our dedicated customer service sta, talented hit. People started canceling weddings, the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 graphic designers, and skilled production and installation asking for deposits and refunds. precautions. team strive to make doing business with us the reliable choice. It wasn't until May that things started 6925 East Belmont | Fresno, Ca. 93727-2933 He is still expecting more business Please give us a call to get started on your next project! P: 559 255 8079 to turn around. In April, Expo Events with the holiday season coming up — www.pro-screen.com & Tents landed clients that needed 6 www.thebusinessjournal.com FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 PHOTO CONTRIBUTED | Digital rendering for the Fresno City College West Fresno campus, which has received a large chunk of cap-and-trade funds, and has been folded into the Transform Fresno initiative.