The City of Fresno and the Successor Agency to the Fresno Redevelopment Agency are asking developers to submit their proposals to purchase and develop land in the area near Chukchansi Park.
Downtown revitalization advocates envision a project with mixed-used development where people can live, work and go to enjoy their free time.
On Tuesday, it was a quiet on the south end of Fresno's Fulton Mall with little foot traffic coming through.
But advocates for the revitalization of downtown Fresno hope that will soon change.
"We've got a whole heart of a city geographic area that we're really trying to develop whether it's for residential of for commercial purposes," says Al Smith with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
Where pedestrians are now met with many empty store fronts and locked doors, revitalization advocates hope for multi-story mixed-use development.
"Like restaurants or clubs or coffee houses or some shopping with upper-level housing or hotel or even additional restaurants," says Craig Scharton, interim president of the Downtown Fresno Partnership, as he lists off examples of what he'd like to see in the area.
Scharton also owns a business in the north end of the Fulton Mall.
In February, the Fresno City Council voted to open the Fulton Mall to vehicle traffic.
Now, city leaders are asking developers to submit their proposals to purchase and develop 5.3 acres of land on Fulton between Kern and Inyo streets.
"Things that really generate a lot of foot traffic--and then once that foot traffic gets going, then you see people wanting to live nearby," Scharton says.
Multi-use development would mean an area where people could work, live, and go to spend their free time.
"We can't have a workforce that comes down here at 9 and leaves at 5. You've got have people living down here," Smith says.
The proposal lists 11 parcels owned by either the city, the city's successor redevelopment agency or private owners.
The deadline for developers to submit their proposals is July 2, 2014.