Eaton Plaza is located at the heart of Fresno’s Civic Center between the Memorial Auditorium, Fresno County Public Library, County Courthouse and Fresno Police Station. Covering one square block, the site is borderd by Fresno Street, Mariposa Street, N Street and O Street. The historic Fresno Water Tower, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits at the northeast corner overlooking the park. The plaza is home to a 300 seat amphitheatre and large grassy areas. When completed, the plaza will feature even more green space, fountains and public gathering areas. Eaton Plaza is currently home to an annual summertime Movies in the Park series sponsored by the City of Fresno. Eaton Plaza is connected to both Courthouse Park and The Fulton Mall by the Mariposa pedestrian mall.

Since the early part of the 20th century plans have called for a public park to be built at this site, a plan was developed in 1966. However, the site remained undeveloped for decades until 2006. Phase I of the project opened in August 2006, and features a 300 seat outdoor amphitheatre. Construction was funded with a $750,000 grant from the California Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond of 2000. The project is divided into five phases, with an estimated total cost of over $6,000,000.

The plaza is named from Edwin M. Eaton, a prominent community leader, and President of Guarantee Savings and Loan from 1928 to 1956. Eaton also served on the County Planning Commission, was Chair of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and was the President of the Fresno City and County Historical Society.

The Fresno Water Tower

The Fresno Water Tower was completed in November 1894 at the corner of Fresno and O streets for $20,000. It was built by the Fresno Water Company, then a supplier to the City. Chicago architect George Washington Maher designed the building, patterned after a centuries-old water tower in Worms, Germany. The tower stands 100 feet high. An interior wall supports a storage tank that held 250,000 gallons of water. The base of red brick, covered by plaster; the 250,000-gallon tank, rising above the catwalk, is built of riveted steel plates imported from Sweden. What with the leakage and being out of step in the city's growing water system, the tank was shut down and drained in 1963. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The water tower opened as a visitor center in 2001.

(excerpted from the City of Fresno Public Utilities website)

More information about the Fresno Water Tower

Eaton Plaza Master Plan

Design firm MPA Design worked through an extensive public participation process to develop a Master Plan that would transform the park, which had previously been used for surface parking, into a dynamic urban plaza. After conducting a series of meetings and public questionnaires, MPA prepared several Master Plan schemes and cost estimates that were then considered by community and government stakeholders. In summer 2004, a plan was selected by the community and approved by the City Council and in spring 2006, the phase one amphitheater opened to the public. The central plaza serves as a community focal point and meeting place as well as a venue for festivals. Other design elements include a participatory fountain, tree groves, and a view of the existing historic water tower.  (From MPA Website)

Progress on Eaton Plaza

In April 2008, the City authorized $1.8 million of the $40 million city-wide parks bond to fund phases 2-4 of the Eaton Plaza project. On May 21, 2009 the Fresno City Council voted to approve some modifications in the Eaton Plaza Master Plan proposed by city staff and a landscape architecture firm recently retained by the city. The changes were necessary to comply with AB 1881 the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act.

The modifications included:

• Removal of the redwood grove located near the water tower restrooms
• Removal of the existing Camphor tree grove located on the northwest corner of the site
• Removal of two annual garden beds
• Combine the fountain pump building and restroom building and relocate to the north side of the west lawn
• A 2' permeable strip between turf anc concrete surfaces
• Add a temporary annual flower bed where the proposed art sculpture is located
• Relocate existing Crape Myrtle trees into two rows bordering the "N" Street sidewalks along the west side of the park

More information about progress on Eaton Plaza's Master Plan (PDF)