CommRow to Begin Major Renovation

by Mike Van Houten / Jan 3, 2013

I tend to enter many of the events in my calendar myself, which involves going to various web sites like Silver Legacy, Pioneer Center for Performing Arts, CommRow and others. I noticed I hadn't received any events from CommRow's social media guru lately, so I ventured to their web site and discovered the entire web site is gone with the exception of Basecamp, a parking page and a contact page. The CommRow logo has been completely removed and replaced with the Basecamp logo.

A while back in Northern Nevada Business Weekly there was an article about CommRow undergoing a major renovation which included opening 320 hotel rooms, revamping the first floor, opening the neighboring spaces including the former Golden Phoenix casino building fronting Virginia Street, the building on Sierra Street across the street from Montage, the Old Reno Casino and the Masonic building. The plan was/is to combine the Masonic Building and Old Reno Casino into a 10,000 sf restaurant space, Vino's on Sierra Street gutted and converted into a restaurant space, upstairs from Vino converted to meeting space, and the former Golden Phoenix casino renovated and reopened into a casino. They were/are also contemplating a skybridge spanning Douglas Alley to connect CommRow to the former Golden Phoenix building.

Judging from their web site, it looks like this renovation is about to begin as everything in CommRow seems closed with the exception of Basecamp.

This is encouraging to see, and I am crossing my fingers that the third time's a charm. CommRow originally opened in October 2011 with worldly eateries such as Lemoni, Que, and Da Stand. Then, not even four months later, it was announced that CommRow would be undergoing a second renovation, which resulted in food changes, and Beach Hut Deli and Biggest Little Burger added to the mix and most of the first-phase eateries closing.

On the rumor side of things, I am hearing they are going to go for a more upscale modern look, and the 'no frills chic' concept so beloved by CommRow's initial development team is being ditched.

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UPDATE: According to RGJ, plans include a restaurant and bar on the first floor, along with the hotel lobby and moving the entertainment venue from the third floor to the first floor, and turning the third floor into banquet/catering space. The 4th floor hotel rooms will be converted into office space. It will be a $10 million remodel. The new name and concept should be released within the next six weeks.

Additional info

NNBW Article About Hotel Renovations

NNBW Article About Surrounding Properties

Tagged under: downtown Reno | CommRow | 255 North Virginia Street |

Post your comments

Rory

January 3, 2013 - 10:15:37 AM

Wow! This sucks for Beach Hut Deli (locally owned) who opened a location inside CommRow less than a year ago. I wonder if those owners have the inside scoop?

DowntownMakeoverDude

January 3, 2013 - 12:34:45 PM

Well who knows, maybe they only wanted a one year lease, or perhaps they will be a part of the renovation. Or maybe even move upstairs to Basecamp. Or maybe they will move into one of the two new restaurant spaces mentioned in the NNBW article. Too early to tell right now.

Blake Crosby

January 3, 2013 - 12:40:19 PM

Wondering where they're getting all the money? Ironic that the Fitzgeralds was doing well but their parent company was looting their profits. Now we have a parent company that seems to like continually dumping money into CommRow. I would say service is their first problem. Second, the open layout should be modular so only sections open at a time, so when you walk by it doesn't look so dead. You can have 30 people in Imperial and it looks lively, but 30 people on the first floor of CommRow looks dead. They should have kept the coffee shop but moved it further back. If they cut off Lucky's Saloon from the rest with a fake wall you can open up for bar crawls, Lucky's Saloon would be a nice little corner bar by the Arch. But basically the service was always horrible. Did Reno Air train these guys?

GlamGal

January 5, 2013 - 8:26:18 AM

I agree about the service. They hired some of the worst bartenders with the worst reputations and no following. Not a good way to keep people in your establishment.