Granite Park says City of Fresno wants the 'value that we've created'

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – After receiving a three-day announcement to vacate Granite Park connected Nov. 6, the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation (CVCSF) held a property league Friday, turning the tables connected the City of Fresno, claiming that the metropolis is attempting to bargain caller wealth made and calling their claims are "pure lies."

"The instauration has made Granite Park implicit $9 cardinal - that's what the metropolis wants. They privation the worth the instauration has enactment into the property. They privation the millions of dollars of worth that we've created," said Terance Frazier, president of CVCSF.

The metropolis claimed the parkland failed to marque required improvements; however, Frazier says they made astir $3 cardinal successful improvements, and that the parkland was a "neglected overgrown dumping ground," earlier they took over.

"The circumstantial facilities were intended to beryllium included successful the lease arsenic an illustration of what would beryllium built," CVCSF's Attorney David Weiland added. "It was ne'er acceptable successful stone. We ne'er promised the metropolis thing different than we would walk wealth to physique facilities."

The instauration besides claims that the metropolis took nary portion successful improving the grounds, contempt repeated efforts by the instauration to procure aid.

"We'll gladly manus implicit the reins, but just compensation for concern would beryllium expected," Frazier said. "They're attempting to prehend our improvements for free."

In effect to not paying their rent, Frazier said the instauration brings successful $26,500 annually and has invested implicit $3 cardinal successful superior improvements, equating to much than 50 years of prepaid rent. Additionally, helium claims the foundation's enactment has accrued the spot worth by $7 million, representing implicit 100 years of prepaid rent.

"The lease is unambiguous," Frazier said. "Rent shall beryllium incurred astatine $62,000 annually accredited against the worth of the superior betterment constructed connected the premises by the tenant."

Despite defending their actions and inactions, the instauration reversed the blame, claiming the metropolis was not pursuing the lease. When asked if that excused the instauration for gathering its obligations successful the lease, Weiland responded "yes."

Frazier and his lawyer said they responded to the May 17 default missive successful August and provided printout copies for attendees to read.

"That missive is simply a prevarication from the precise archetypal leafage to the precise past page," Weiland said.

Frazier said the "city's actions are amerciable and, much disturbingly, immoral," claiming that Chuckchansi Park was fixed implicit $1 cardinal a year, portion they, who service a larger percent of the community, were lone fixed $150,000 annually.

"I look astatine my youngest son, Matthew. He played shot present astatine six years old. I saw a representation of him and I was similar 'What if that parkland wasn't there?' Matthew close present is playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it's due to the fact that of parks," Frazier said. "I was a stateless kid successful Oakland and parks saved my life. My intent is to prevention these kids' lives. I'd alternatively parks than prisons."

Frazier and Weiland said they person a existent lawsuit successful national tribunal against the metropolis connected the ground of the city's alleged nonaccomplishment to grant its obligations.

Weiland claims the metropolis was expected to supply them with recycled water. As a effect of this agreement, helium says CVCSF paid for the infrastructure to person that water. However, Weiland says that wealth was wasted arsenic the metropolis failed to marque immoderate effort to travel through.

He besides claims that the metropolis was obligated to behaviour programs connected Granite Park but failed to execute adjacent one.

"So who's successful breach of the lease? The instauration oregon the city?" Weiland said. "We are going to spot this national lawsuit through. We are going to combat similar heck. We are not going to springiness up."