Contributors - Better Blackstone Design Challenge

Design Team

We are grateful to our dedicated architects, landscape architects and urban designer, and their student design interns whose visionary contributions are helping reshape the narrative of the Blackstone Avenue corridor.

Paul Halajian, Paul Halajian Architects

Arthur Dyson, Arthur Dyson Architects

Antonio (Tony) Avila, Darden Architects

Sheila Hakimipour, Urban Diversity Design

Terry Broussard, Broussard & Associates Landscape Architect

Rich Vaillancour (retired),
Robert Boro Landscape Architect

Funders

Regenerate California Innovation (RCI) is the current fiscal sponsor for the Better Blackstone Community Development Corporation (BBCDC). The former fiscal sponsor for BBCDC is Fresno Metro Ministry.

Staff Team

Keith Bergthold

Keith Bergthold is the founder and CEO of both the Better Blackstone CDC and Regenerate California Innovation (RCI), the former Executive Director of Fresno Metro Ministry from 2014 through 2022, and former Asst. Planning Director for the City of Fresno from 2006 to 2014. Keith conceptualized and provided overall management for the BBDC project, recruited and continues to work with our wonderful community serving local architects and urban designers, and wrote and managed the grants that made the BBDC project feasible.

Christian Gonzalez

Christian Gonzalez is our amazing community engagement and community planning and development professional. She served as the extremely capable and essential BBDC project manager while with Fresno Metro Ministry and the Better Blackstone CDC through 2021. She is now a Community Engagement Specialist with Every Neighborhood Partnership and in her spare time also serves on the Board of Directors of Regenerate California Innovation (RCI).

Board of Directors

Better Blackstone Community Development Corporation

Current Board Members

Christina Alejo, President
Jose Antonio Ramirez, Vice President
Dr. Daniel Griffin, Treasurer
Dr. Matthew Jendian, Secretary
Andrew Feil
D’Aungillique Jackson

Past Board Members

Dr. Francine Oputa
Christopher L. Moran
Artie Padilla

We've not only come up with a template, we've also demonstrated how architects, landscape architects, urban designers and non profits can all come together to solve a really difficult problem with so many facets, including economic, health, psychological, and traffic components.

What we've captured is a path to a better quality of life for the people of Fresno. We need some forward thinking here so we don't have more urban blight as we grow. These templates can be utilized readily, and can be used anywhere - it's very encouraging and inspiring.

This is an opportunity to look at what we have, and what we could have. We're exploring alternatives and offering a different viewpoint from what we've done in the past. This shows a better way, something more meaningful, and a new direction.

This template is not super radical... it's common sense with how spaces actually work. This is doable, it makes financial sense, and it's for all the right reasons.

This effort is visionary, and all the graphics, studies, and calculations from this project are now accessible for everyone to use and get inspired. We've already seen some mindsets shift that the old way is not the only way. This is a great gift to the City of Fresno.

This has the potential to inspire people to think about our city, how Blackstone can change, and how the rest of our city can change. I hope it inspires some deep thought about how we should develop and how our city should continue to grow.