World Trade Center Study Commissioned by Fresno

Fresno has ordered a feasibility study and market analysis for the possible development of an Agricultural World Trade Center close to established financial, convention and government centers in the central business district.

The city has entered into a $40,000 contract for the study and analysis with Mentor/Urbanetics, a joint-venture partnership of the Mentor Group of Fullerton and Urbanetics Inc. of Los Angeles.

Architect H. Thomas Felvey, president of Urbanetics, said the intent is to concentrate activities related to agribusiness in a central location to strengthen the local economy and further establish Fresno as “the capital of agriculture on the West Coast.” The site has not been chosen.

John Bollinger, Mentor president, and Felvey will handle project administration to assure that the city’s requirements are met by the studies and will coordinate the completion of the work, which will be done by a consortium of firms that have expertise in relevant fields.

Activities of the consortium will be divided into project administration and market, conceptual, site and implementation studies. Completion of the study is scheduled for February, 1986, at which time the city will decide whether to proceed with development.

Bollinger is consulting on world trade centers in Long Beach, Oakland, Orange County, Pomona and San Diego. Felvey is engaged in the predevelopment and development of several world trade centers including the $90-million Pomona center and the $250-million Oakland facility.