A magical thing happens when a retail development grows organically, rather than either being forced or worse, assembling totally random venues out of desperation to get the project to occupancy. The perfect example of organic growth can be found in a quaint commercial development on the corner of Riverside and Washington in the 700-block of Riverside Drive. The project is nestled in the beautifully historic Powning District. Larry DeVincenzi, managing partner with BLG (Biggest Little Group), the company that manages the marketing/pr of Beaujolais Bistro, unofficially calls it “Riverside at Washington”, for the sake of calling it something.
What was once a couple of homes and businesses is now a navigable maze of successful businesses that fit together so well it's almost scary. So how did this once-questionable area become the bustling retail center it is today?
The story begins back when the Ponte Vecchio project was being planned on Riverside Drive years ago. Much like other planned luxury condos/townhomes like Arterra, Waterfront and Wingfield Towers, it promised ultra-luxury townhomes right on the river. The project was eventually cancelled, and the parceled land was returned back to the bank. Enter Paddy Egan and his partner Joe Udvare.
They saw the potential for this block of land, both where Ponte Vecchio was planned and the adjoining homes to the west. Long story short, they acquired the property and began plans for one of the first commercial property clusters on Riverside Drive and in the Powning District.
(photo courtesy the Hub)
Paddy was also a regular in midtown, and frequently visited the Hub on Cheney Street. He'd often strike up conversations with owner Mark Trujillo. Paddy knew Mark was looking to expand, and began showing him various properties around town. Mark had specific criteria that would fit his coffee culture, and being in a strip mall wasn't one of them. One of the retail spaces on the tour was the retail space in the yet-to-be-built Ponte Vecchio project. Though it was a vacant lot, Mark saw the potential of having a coffee house on the Riverwalk in a burgeoning neighborhood. When that project fell apart and Egan and his partner acquired the land, Paddy eventually took Mark back to the neighborhood to view the property next to the vacant lot that was to be Ponte Vecchio, and Mark fell in love with it before they even parked and got out of the car. He was onboard since day one.
Newmont Mines and Biggest Little Group were the first and second tenants in the building, and the Hub at Riverside Drive opened soon after.
Enter Dorinda's Chocolates.
Mark on his frequent trips to Truckee was a longtime fan of Dorinda's Chocolates. Dorinda Vance was extremely interested in expanding out of Truckee and forming an unofficial partnership with Mark. Wherever he went, she wanted to go too, because what goes better than coffee and chocolates, right? So when Mark set up shop on Riverside Drive, it didn't take much coaxing for Dorinda to snatch the neighboring space and move her delicious chocolate business from Truckee to right next door to the Hub. Their cross-traffic speaks for itself. Dorina's Chocolates hand-makes everything in their shop, and her award-winning chocolate-covered cherries have won over hearts at multiple chocolate festivals and contests.
Meanwhile, Chef Bill Gilbert, owner of Beaujolais Bistro downtown, was a bit dismayed with his West Street location. Parking for his customers were a constant issue, and the restaurant didn't really fit in with the events going on around it, such as pub crawls and food street. He would take frequent strolls along the river, and noticed the activity happening at 735 Riverside Drive when Paddy began exterior renovations of the property. It eventually peaked his interest enough that he strolled into the Hub and began asking Mark about the property.
To Mark, the Hub was an almost instant success, capturing both neighborhood residents Southwest commuters and Northwest commuters converging for coffee on their way to work. Dorinda's Chocolates and the Hub were feeding each other traffic as predicted, as both already had near-cult followings already. It was a match made in heaven, but what better to top it off than a high end French restaurant? Bill kind of felt that way too, and soon after decided on the front space.
At the same point in time, two independent salon owners Heidi and Jessica were looking to pair up and find the perfect space, and found that space in what was formerly a garage. After a stunning renovation and build-out of the space, they too moved in. Hello Darling specializes in hair and make-up services and features a finishing bar and four stylists.
The last space in the development was recently leased to yoga clothing retailer LuLu Lemon, with stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and other larger cities. They felt it was a proper fit along one of Reno's most popular jogging routes. And that brings Riverside @ Washington to 100% occupancy.
So, the next time you are strolling down Riverside Drive, stop by one or more of the businesses in this great development spearheaded by Paddy Egan and his partner Joe Udvare.