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The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board is moving to the Winepress Shopping Center off of Shaw and Marks avenues in Fresno. Image via Google Earth

published on July 9, 2021 - 2:11 PM
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The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board is moving to the Winepress Shopping Center off of Shaw and Marks avenues in Fresno. 

The 33,000-square-foot space at 3170 W. Shaw Ave. is undergoing a tenant improvement to become offices and a recruitment center. The space was previously a Vons. An agency official said it offers improved visibility and generous parking. 

Blake Konczal, executive director of the Workforce Development Board, said the new facility addresses many needs – not just for his staff, but also for the government agencies it partners with.

“Our goal is to make it an inviting environment where both the unemployed and the business community will feel comfortable coming for service,” Konczal said. 

“We’re very excited about the move to Winepress,” he added. “Shaw is almost like the spine of Fresno.” 

The shopping center is anchored by a Target. A Stein Mart location at the shopping center closed last year after the clothing retailer declared bankruptcy.

The target movie-in date is in October. The organization’s current office is located at Manchester Center.

The new location is positioned between Highways 41 and 99. The new location will help the organization serve unemployed clients and become an ideal place to recruit businesses and find out what their training needs are. The building can also serve as a facility where businesses themselves can recruit. 

“It’s just going to hit on all cylinders,” Konczal said. 

The Workforce Development Board is moving locations at a time where many employers face a serious labor shortage.

“All employers are hungry for workers right now. The fact that we can use the Winepress Center as a recruitment spot where we can allow employers to do recruitments and we can host job fairs — I think will help us as we try to help those businesses to find the right human capital to fill those jobs,” he said. 

During a pre-Covid year, on average the Workforce Development Board saw 22,000 visitors. Each person returns an average of three times.

“It’s very important for us that we have the right facility in the right location because we are seeing and serving a large number of members of our community and we want to do it right,” Konczal said. 


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