Along Fern Avenue in the Tower District, businesses are boarded up, some lined with graffiti. There’s trash piled in the doorways. But on this sunny Saturday afternoon, volunteers move brooms along the sidewalk and sweep the debris into boxes. There’s an upbeat feeling about their work. One of the cleaning crew is Kacey Auston. She grew up in the Tower and is now leasing the former Bank of America building on this street. It’s still empty but she plans on opening a marijuana dispensary called Cookies Fresno. “It would revitalize [this] whole strip as new lighting, 24 hr security. Which would then enhance the businesses around it,” says Auston. She’s holding the space while the city considers her application. She could get an interview in March and if approved, get a license to operate by May. Auston estimates opening the location within six months of obtaining a license. Auston says she knew immediately that the old bank location would be perfect for a dispensary. It’s “an area that
https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202102/tower.jpg