File Photo Kyle Kirkland

The Fresno City Council passed an ordinance at its Feb. 4 meeting pertaining to the permitted locations of card rooms.

This development comes when cardrooms have been shut down for more than a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Club One Casino, which has shuttered its Downtown Location, is reportedly interested in relocating to Granite Park in East Central Fresno. The former Club Imperio building seems a likely site.

According to the ordinance amending sections of Fresno’s municipal code regarding the locations of card rooms, the city found that the current code needs to be replaced by an ordinance that expands permitted games and authorizes an increase in the number of card tables permitted at any one address.

Granite Park is in District 4, in Councilmember Tyler Maxwell’s district.

Maxwell said that even before the passing of the ordinance, card rooms were already able to move to Granite Park, but it was passed to clean up existing language so that there is no confusion as to where owners of card rooms were allowed to operate.

The ordinance does not specify the Granite Park location or any one specific card room.

“I have heard that there is interest from Club One Casino to move to the Granite Park complex. Those have been preliminary discussions. Currently, by right, they [card rooms] could move their operations into Granite Park shopping area tomorrow if they wanted to. But there are a few logistical issues that we need to look at and address,” Maxwell said.

One concern includes parking, especially when the park is filled for sports games or with shoppers.

Maxwell said another concern is card rooms having to re-apply for permits to sell alcohol and operate cards and tables in their new space—both of these issues would have to put forth before the Fresno City Council for an up or down vote.

Other concerns include having alcohol consumption next to a busy park, and added security.

“It’s in Club One’s hands at this point. They’re the ones initiating the interest and the process. Its not a city effort, it’s a Club One effort to relocate. I guess things would move forward when their lease is up or when they have to be out of the building in Downtown Fresno,” Maxwell said.

Multiple messages left for Kyle Kirkland, owner of Club One Casino, were not returned.