The Arthur @ Blackstone features 41 affordable housing units on Blackstone Avenue just south of Manchester Center. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

The many groups that made the Arthur @ Blackstone and its 41 affordable housing units possible celebrated a ribbon cutting in Fresno on Thursday.

Led by Fresno Housing, the development that broke ground in 2022 is unique for the varied partners involved, from the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health providing on-site mental health support services to CVS putting its money on the belief that housing is health care.

The Arthur @ Blackstone at 3045 N. Blackstone Ave. is located on the site once home to the beloved Arthur’s Toys store and AJ’s Tuxedo Shop. The granddaughter of Arthur’s Toys founder Art Arthur, coincidentally now a corporate communications manager with CVS, was on hand talking about the location’s legacy.

The opening marks a significant milestone in addressing the housing needs of the community, especially young people transitioning from foster care. Half of the units will be occupied by young adults who have aged out of foster care or been involved in the criminal justice system. These young adults will be an integral part of the resident population, said Tyrone Roderick Williams, CEO of Fresno Housing.

“We know that housing is health. So without the critically necessary environment that permanent supportive housing provides, it’s harder for folks to maximize their recovery,” said Susan Holt, director of the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health. “So the individuals that we work with in that transition age youth population already have programs that provide wraparound support in the community. The missing piece of that recovery puzzle was dedicated housing.”

 

Having those services in this affordable housing complex will change lives and put people on the path to success, Holt added.

The City of Fresno and the California Housing and Community Development Department also played a role in The Arthur @ Blackstone. Fresno’s contribution was $1.6 million. Fresno County contributed $5.5 million for the build and an additional $10 million for a long term commitment for wraparound services.

“We couldn’t have done this without seeking partners at CVS, partners at the California Endowment and the Kresge Foundation,” said Williams. “When I say we’ve got a plethora of partners who are making this possible, we really do.”

The California Endowment and Kresge Foundation provided pre-development work.

Amenities include a community meeting area, multipurpose rooms, fitness centers, laundry rooms and more. Sustainable building standards were an integral part of the project. The apartments, from studio spaces to three-bedroom units, are available to those who make 30-60% of the area median income. The average rent ranges from about $400 a month to the max of $1,200. 

 

Construction financing was provided by Chase Bank. 

CVS has been a partner with Fresno Housing for the last several years funding affordable housing projects. In 2019, CVS Health made a $4.6 million investment in the 28-unit Villages at Paragon. In 2020, CVS invested $2.1 million in the Villages at Broadway as part of Fresno Housing’s permanent supportive housing program, as well as $2.6 million in Brandhaven Senior Living.

CVS committed $225 million for affordable housing nationwide in 2023 and $1.6 billion over the past 20 years. Some $38 million came to Fresno —  $27 million of that in the past five years.

Kelli Savage, head of impact investment strategy for CVS Health, said it’s about doing the right thing in the community as a health care company. 

“So many people are cost burdened and facing difficult challenges in life. We know that we need to do our part to impact affordable housing. When we’re doing that all over the country, we are specifically looking at those areas where we can find vision aligned developers, and Fresno Housing was that from the start,” said Savage.

 

Fresno Housing’s relationship with CVS was on full display when the organization acquired the former Downtown Fresno CVS property for $2.8 million last year. Fresno Housing plans a mixed-use development in the store’s footprint.

For Monica Prinzing, corporate communications senior manager for CVS Health’s Western region, Thursday’s event was a homecoming. Prinzing’s grandfather Art Arthur founded the Arthur’s Toys chain with his wife Grace in 1944, and it became the place generations of Fresno kids picked up their first bike or doll. 

Prinzing, who lives in Los Angeles now but returns frequently to visit, said she couldn’t be prouder that her late grandparents’ former storefront is now Arthur @ Blackstone.

“My grandparents are proud and smiling right now,” she said.