FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A prominent Downtown Fresno hotel has closed its doors to the public and is apparently not accepting new bookings – following the announcement by city officials on Thursday that a safety assessment is currently underway.

In a release from the City of Fresno, Mayor Jerry Dyer says that it came to their attention on Wednesday that anticipated repairs to the fire alarm system at the Radisson Hotel at 1055 Van Ness Avenue would not be completed prior to a scheduled fire inspection on Friday, December 30, 2022.

While the City of Fresno has not issued any final orders, the City Manager has initiated a full assessment of the hotel’s ability to ensure guests’ safety. Their concern is that the hotel is no longer able to operate in a manner that provides its guests with a safe environment.

City officials add that hotel ownership has had to deal with many challenges over the last three years, including a pandemic and significant infrastructure failures. The City of Fresno has continued to work with the hotel owners to bring the 50-year-old fire system up to current safety standards.

During this period, the city has required the hotel to provide a 24/7 Fire Watch to ensure the safety of all occupants during the repairs. The Fire Watch will continually monitor the premises, and watch for fires, fire hazards, and existing issues. Among other requirements, the Fire Watch must conduct an inspection of the entire building at least once per hour and complete written logs of inspections. The fire department allows for a Fire Watch as a temporary measure to allow businesses to remain open while necessary safety repairs are underway.

According to the City of Fresno, they can no longer allow a temporary measure to take the place of permanent repairs to the fire alarm system of a multi-story building in the heart of Downtown Fresno.

A YourCentralValley.com staff member attempted to enter the Radisson Hotel on Thursday morning but the doors were locked. When visiting the Radisson Hotels America website, the Downtown Fresno hotel is not listed. A similar search on Hotels.com did not show the Downtown Fresno Raddison Hotel.

A request for comment to Radisson Hotels has not been returned.