From left, Sandra Chaires, Sevak Khatchadourian, Josh Islas and Mayor Lee Brand cut the ribbon on Quail State rooftop bar in Fresno in 2019. Photo by Edward Smith

On a windy Wednesday overlooking the Fulton Street development, Josh Islas gave a tour and a glimpse of his vision for a new rooftop bar and restaurant.

Local elected officials and downtown boosters attended the Wednesday morning ribbon cutting on what will be Quail State on the second floor of the Pacific Southwest Building in Downtown Fresno.

The bar, to feature seasonal food and craft cocktails, won’t be open until fall of this year, but plans are already underway.

“There’s about six to seven months of construction up ahead,” Islas said.

 

What is now a rooftop will need to be transformed into a deck and patio area to create the “Palm Spring resort, mid-century, gentleman’s lounge hybrid” atop Mariposa Street.

“They have to completely gut the interior, bring it to ADA compliance. We need to put in the proper plumbing and the electricity,” Islas said. “Downtown Fresno deserves something that looks beautiful, so we’re going to take the extra time to craft everything exactly the way that we want it.”

Islas is collaborating on the development cost 50/50 with the owner of the Pacific Southwest Building, Sevak Khatchadourian.

“The whole motto of the building is ‘to live, to work and to play here,’”  Khatchadourian said.

Originally a bank built in 1925, Pacific Southwest now has everything from workspaces to lofts to La Boulangerie coming this year, and now a new rooftop bar. Occupancy is near 100 percent, Khatchadourian said.

Khatchadourian and La Boulangerie ownership announced a coffee-and-pastry version of the restaurant in September 2017. Plans have been submitted to the city and the health department and “hopefully in a couple months that space will be ready,” he said.

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said Khatchadourian “has found the right formula, blending commercial development and residential development.”