There's no question that 2008 was a challenging year, as the nation suffered the effects of the global economic downturn, which was felt everywhere, including in Downtown Fresno. But a look back at the major events of the past year reveals a number of highlights when it comes to the ongoing efforts to revitalize Downtown Fresno. Here's a quick look back at the "top 10" highlights of 2008 in Downtown Fresno.

1) The Fresno Metropolitan Museum reopens after a three year renovation
One of Fresno's cultural anchors came back on the scene in a big way with a truly "grand" reopening weekend that enticed nearly 30,000 people to the museum's historic home in the Cultural Arts District. Highlights included "Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origins of Flight" and a series of outdoor concerts on the new public open space outside the museum.

2) Opening of the H Street Lofts
Fresno developer Reza Assemi's latest downtown housing development opened in early 2008 and is further evidence that the future of housing in Downtown Fresno is bright indeed. The H Street Project features artists lofts and is the second project in an emerging neighborhood, which features Assemi's prior successful housing development the Vagabond Lofts.

3) New events: The VIBE & The FUSE Festival
These two new events brought excitement and entertainment to Downtown Fresno after 5:00 PM, with music food and more. The VIBE, a city produced outdoor street party held on multiple Friday nights during the summer, on a newly renovated portion of Kern Street, brought tens of thousands of people downtown for music, vendors, and more. And Creative Fresno's FUSE Festival  (Fresno Urban Sound Experience) took things indoors with over 20 musical performances at three different venues on one night, celebrating Fresno's talented local music community.

4) New restaurants & clubs open their doors
2008 saw the addition of a number of new dining options for Downtown Fresno workers, residents and visitors, including Hero's Sports Lounge & Pizza, The Parsley Garden Cafe, Sushi Hana, Salsa's Mexicatessen, Cafe 1055, Carlton's Bar and Grill, and the 2039 Ultra Lounge.

5) New art galleries
Already a hub for Fresno's rich arts community, Downtown Fresno added several new Art Hop stops, including the sleek Downtown Community Arts Collective (DCAC) in the Old Fresno Icehouse Building, and the Golda Foundations co-op "Art Space" gallery on the Fulton Mall. Local artist Glen Delpit also opened a studio in the Cultural Arts District, next door to a new recording studio and performance space run by Roger Perry. And local Latino arts center Arte Americas celebrated the completion of their kiosko project, the centerpiece of their beautiful outdoor plaza on Van Ness.

6) Restoration of historic buildings
2008 saw the rebirth of several of Downtown Fresno's historic properties, including the long vacant Hobbs-Parson warehouse, across H Street from Chukchansi Park (now home to the Fresno Fire Department Headquarters) and the Virgina Hotel on Kern Street. Both projects won awards from the city's historic preservation commission for their work.

7) The San Francisco Giants visit Chukchansi Park
The Fresno Grizzlies opened their 2008 season with an exhibition against their parent club, the San Francisco Giants on March 28th. Not only did the event establish a new stadium record of 14,084 in attendance, it also saw the Grizzlies defeat the Giants (and former Cy Young winner Barry Zito) by a score of 4-3.

8) Holiday Inn comes online
Downtown Fresno's former Hilton Hotel was reborn this year as the Holiday Inn - Downtown Fresno. Vacant for several years following 9/11, the nine story building is now home to 200 newly renovated rooms, convention facilities and the panoramic Skyroom on the top floor.

9) New downtownfresno.org website launches
While we might be biased, the new downtownfresno.org offers Fresnans and out of town visitors alike a comprehensive look at all of what Downtown Fresno has to offer, from dining to events, maps and much more.

10) Construction underway on important new projects
Despite the economic downturn, several new projects got underway in 2008 in Downtown Fresno, including the new Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market at Tulare & R Street. In the Cultural Arts District, the largest downtown housing project in over 30 years is being built, with Reza Assemi's Fulton Plaza development. At $20 million dollars, the project will feature 80 apartments, including 16 three-story townhouses, and 16,000 square feet of commercial space, located at Fulton and Divisadero. Construction also continued on the Lofts at 1060 Fulton, a new brewbub south of Chukchansi Park, and the 80,000 square foot Deran Koligian Ambulatory Care Center at Community Regional Medical Center.