//Heart of Downtown

Heart of Downtown

by Lisa Talley | lisa@fresnoflyer.com

A steady ‘click-clack’ of heels chirp across the 3rd floor of the Pacific Southwest Building as Sandra Chaires charges into the umpteenth hour of her shift. Her phone is buzzing with phone calls, emails, texts, social media alerts, and timers, but a member of the Workspace floor has a question. Chaires, with remarkable warmth and patience, stops mid-stride to address one of the many conundrums that occur throughout a typical day.

“I think my primary job overall is to make people happy,” Chaires says in all honesty. A hair second later, she also laughs in response to her statement, as if to feel the weight of that expectation and reflect on her own sanity in shouldering such a large responsibility.

Located in Downtown Fresno, the Pacific Southwest Building is 16 floors with four live venues: The Banker’s Ballroom, The Vault, Workspace, and The Lofts; complete with revolving events, numerous members and tenants complete with changing and ongoing needs, all while the entire building receives various degrees of reconstruction. Sandra is at the center of it all.

Sandra Chaires – Director Pacific Southwest Building

Like a network gateway, Chaires is the hub through which information passes and multiple tasks funneled. Each venue with every available phone number and email are routed directly to Sandra.

“I handle the lofts, anything to do with the tenants [along with] PR, marketing, showings, new contracts… Same goes for Workspace. The Ballroom and The Vault, I coordinate events, PR, marketing, scheduling… And I make sure all of them are tidy…” Chaires pauses, looking for a different word to accurately describe this thought, and with a smirk she finds it. “I make sure everything is ‘pretty.’”

It’s a lighthearted way to depict how the Pacific Southwest Building always seems to feel so inviting. Aside from the usual comforts of an always stocked bathroom, clean floors, and spotless windows, it’s a fresh pot of coffee every few hours on the Workspace floor. It’s hints of vanilla nestled in the confines of the elevators and hallways, and the knack for always remembering everyone’s name.

“We’re a business, and we can’t run a business without making sure everyone who comes to the building has a good experience,” says Chaires.

Although the grace of well-placed hospitality is a great way to ensure that a guest does have a good experience, the building handles some of that work by itself. Built in 1925, the Pacific Southwest Building has a charm that’s difficult to ignore. Original Cherrywood doors, the intricate art deco high-rise ceiling of the ballroom, open concept designs with exposed walls and ceilings on the redeveloped floors, and of course, the view.

Those who exhibit even the slightest fear of heights leave their dread behind and welcome the only thing left to take its place, awe. The tall, broad windows hold the city close to the viewer, seemingly close enough to touch. There’s something about engulfing so much of downtown at one time – bustling, growing, changing – that it makes the landscape feel all the more intimate. It instills a notion that there is a heart, not just in this city, but within the entire valley.

The impact of that view and the first impression it made is half of what sold Sandra Chaires into taking on her complex role some 2 ½ years ago. The other responsible half was the vision the Katchadourian brothers have for the building.

“I immediately fell in love with the view, and I was in love with the building. But not only that but [Sevak] talked about what the building could be and their plan for the future… [the brothers] believe in the potential and believe that we [the building] can be restored to our original glory,” shares Sandra.

Purchased in 2011 Serko and Sevak Katchadourian did a core evaluation of the building and decided it was going to be a mixed space – not just endless floors of offices – that would allow people to live, work, and play in the Pacific Southwest Building. The plan is to develop this over the course of 3 phases.

Phase 1 is available now and near completion with The Banker’s Ballroom, The Vault, and the newly incorporated Workspace. Each venue exists on their own floors with The Banker’s Ballroom on the first floor for events ranging from weddings and Quinceaneras to fundraisers and costume parties. Beneath the ballroom is, as Chaires puts it, the underused venue: The Vault. Smaller than the ballroom, The Vault is a more informal setting with a bar, pool table, foosball table, a small stage for a DJ or live band, and a mini-movie theater.

Formerly the Security Bank building, the Pacific Southwest Building has kept some things from its former life, like the giant bank vault. However, aside from the classic vault door, not much remains the same. Large, reclining leather seats fill most of the room facing a large flat screen TV. Speakers mounted on the surface of the walls, completing the theater. The Vault, too, is used for a variety of events from birthday parties and general events, to small weddings and receptions.

Workspace is the newest addition to the building that required an entire overhaul to the 3rd floor. In a nut shell, it’s a shared office environment where entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses can incubate without the hefty fees that often accompany individual commercial spaces. Those who utilize the floor for a small fee are referred to as ‘members,’ and members have access to things they normally wouldn’t if they were on their own. For starters, an office located in the Pacific Southwest Building, 24/7 finger-print access, and security cameras. But the real gem of Workspace is in the aesthetics. Wide open windows provide natural light, adjustable standing desks for healthier working situations, and décor handpicked for encouraging professionalism, productivity, and creativity. It’s also where you’ll find Sandra on most days, ready to tackle your questions.

Phase 2 of the building includes adding more lofts to the upper floors. Installed by Sandra King, the former owner of the building, the Katchadourian brothers plan to expand on her idea and dedicate more space for tenants. There are also plans to incorporate a café into the 2nd floor next to the Loft Salon.

Phase 3… well, that’s up to the people. Chaires elaborates by stating, “Yes, we are one building, but we’re mainly real estate. The goal is not to bring in our own businesses. We do have the Banker’s Ballroom, The Vault, The Lofts, and Workspace but that’s it. The vision is to make the building open to the public, where other people can come in and realize their own dream; be it a bar, restaurant, or other business.”

Also, according to Chaires, the Katchadourian brothers are one of very few investors in Fresno who is doing their investing 100% on their own dime. Reconstruction, development, it’s all taking place out of pocket without the assistance of grants or funds from the city or state. Sevak and Serko have enormous faith in Fresno, the kind usually only found in Fresnans, not bad for a couple of Angelinos. (that’s LA residents for you layman’s folk)

But the entire journey of the building and its successes aren’t owed to the Katchadourians alone. Chaires is the first to admit that the whole of the Pacific Southwest Building team plays a vital role in providing the momentum to furthering the forward progression of the building.

“We have a new guy, Victor, who just started maintenance. Sometimes, he gets frustrated saying ‘I’m just cleaning toilets all day.’ And I say ‘Victor; your job is just as important as mine.’ And I feel that way about all of us that run the Pacific Southwest Building.’ We couldn’t do our jobs without [each other],” she shares.

Without Michael Barry and Victor Marquez handling maintenance, Assistant Director – Madeline Loya, Building Manager – Charles Atikian, Construction Manager – Ray Quintero, the Construction Crew – Jason Shaffer, Ruben Delgado, and David Tucker, and the Event Staff – Renee Ballin and Kristopher Havlik, and the Director, Sandra Chaires, the Pacific Southwest Building would not have the same shot it does today in realizing its potential.

Even so, there’s still a long road ahead. The building is in a state of evolution, as it finds its new purpose in the center of downtown Fresno. The team is still learning how this is all going to work and where the building will fit with all the revitalization happening in downtown. They’ll need more foot traffic from the public to fully understand how to shape themselves. Anticipation is high for the Fulton Street Grand Opening on October 21st, where the building, of course, will be hosting 2 VIP parties.

“Craig Scharton of the Downtown Fresno Partnership once said that the Pacific Southwest Building is the heart of downtown. When the [Fulton] street opens, we’re going to start beating, and there won’t be any stopping us.”

Follow the Pacific Southwest Building on social media for upcoming events. For more information, visit www.pacificsouthwestbuilding.com

Facebook: @pacificsouthwestbuilding – Banker’s Ballroom: @bankersballroom – The Vault: @thevaultfresno – Workspace: @workspacefresno