Reno Downtown Erectile Dysfunction Cured?

Posted by Myrna the Minx on October 8, 2007 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

Thanks to DMD, who is able to actually participate in local government (except for the city council, they’re all during the work day), we have an update on some downtown redevelopment projects that have been stalled seemingly for years.First, ONE of the downtown plazas that has been in the planning stages since the Mapes Hotel was demolished now seems to be back on track. That’s right folks, the infamous canopy/alien spaceship planned for the plaza at 10 North Virginia (next to City Hall) might actually be built by 2010! The project was award to Inverness Equities LLC, a northern Californian development company that plans to build the canopy and the retail buildings on that site. I agree with DMD about the “optional build outs’ on that site. Downtown Reno needs to preserve as much of the open and green space it can. The Riverwalk is such a success because it creates an interactive, open, and interactive space. I particularly think the west side of the plaza along Virginia needs to stay WIDE open, because what’s happened while all plan after plan has fallen through, is that people have begun to use what is now a fairly unattractive concrete slab as a community space. Imagine how vibrant the plaza could become if the open space was left open to Virginia AND the river. The city should do what it can to discourage the west side build outs.

Ah, but what about the OTHER plaza you ask? My personal favorite–the Plaza del Sesso? Remember the plaza that was going to be built over the train trench between Virginia and Sierra by now? I have a feeling its fortunes are tied to the timing of the Montage project. What a shame–that was a low-cost and quick project that would have made a huge difference downtown almost immediately–particularly for those of you who enjoy events like Hot August Nights and Street Vibrations. Sigh.

However, some more very good news is that the downtown Post Office project seems to be back on. IF the Post Office project, the baseball stadium, and the 10 North Virginia plaza project are completed at about the same time, the Riverwalk and downtown will move into the major leagues as far as city downtowns are concerned. Other cities already pine over our downtown river, but once those three projects are completed (keeping any new buildings away from Virginia and the river to preserve what would be an amazing downtown space for year round fun. And eventually, I image some retailers will appear on the street level to make the Riverwalk even more of an attraction.

It appears that the new baseball stadium project has kicked up some dust and generated some needed momentum on Reno’s downtown development scene.