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Various Tidbits
- The new club Würk gets a great write-up in Reno Metromix. Do you know why I am excited about this venue? Because I dislike rap and top 40 music blaring in a club, particularly when it seems every other club in town has hitched a ride on the rap-hip-hop bandwagon. I have a feeling many old school electronic dance music fans will be drawn to this venue because it's one of the only gigs in town that makes house/dubstep/dance a priority. Click here to read write up.
- The Executive Inn makeover, according to one of my commenters, will be a mixed use building with retail, office space and multi-family units. Nice! The Executive Inn is located on Sierra Street just south of the court house and north of Red Rock and Old Granite Street Eatery's future location. One more downtown weekly motel gone!
- Lots of excitement on East Taylor Street with a boutique store called 'Tickled Pink' opening up, which offers vintage, shabby chic, unique consignment items, they also have craft classes and craft birthday parties. Add to that a new small events center called '41 Taylor', and news that the building across the street (the old Crystal Springs building) was purchased by the owner of St. James Infirmary, and he's going to turn it into a restaurant and brewery. The renovation will take about 7 months. The owners of the water vending machines located in that building are moving them across the street. 2 other business locations will be built on that site. as well, upstairs. Exciting news for the folks like myself that live between downtown and MidTown.
- NadaDada Hotel is drawing closer! This wicked cool event won't be at El Cortez this year, but instead will be taking over NUMEROUS motels along 2nd Street. Chad Sorg, a guy who is feverishly promoting Nada Dada through various forms of digital media, took some time out to photograph the various motels artists will be located at, which you can check out here. Check out a work-in-progress poster below! Out of all the summer events last year, this was by far my favorite, in fact I went three times, too much to absorb in one trip. June 17th - 20th.
Comments:
Post your commentsPosted by: Blake Crosby - 6/16/2010 3:36:30 PM
It's not so much that Reno has jumped on the hip-hop bandwagon as its dj's play tired, old hip-hop. I mean seriously, Soulja Boy still gets played in Reno, that's like what 2007? If you went to LA or NYC, you'd get a much better selection of hip hop including decent indie hip hop which Club Underground has from time to time. Trance/electronica is cool and it seems for whatever bizarre reasons, you have to go to a gay club in Reno to get it, but keep in mind, some Reno dj's don't have a clue what good trance/electronica is. But yes, definitely better than ten year old Snoop Dog. The one thing that does bother me however is how in the 90's a lot of white people followed rap because it was cool not for the music, and now a lot of white people hate rap because they think it's "ghetto" and whenever a club goes "ghetto" like 210 North or Divine, they run away. Just like the music for the music folks and forget the race or MTV awards.
Posted by: HardRockReno - 6/17/2010 12:16:15 AM
Transportation officials decide to push forward with Meadowood-U.S. 395 interchange By Jeff DeLong jdelong@rgj.com August 28, 2009 23:53 PM Construction of a new freeway interchange at U.S. 395 and Meadowood Way should proceed as a top priority, transportation officials decided Friday. The project, costing up to $61.8 million, is needed to address one of the worst spots for traffic congestion in Reno-Sparks and to create upwards of 1,500 jobs over a two-year period, the Regional Transportation Commission was told. A bid for the project is expected to be awarded by spring. Failure to proceed with the project would sideline an important opportunity to jump-start a troubled economy and endanger future projects, including the proposed construction of a Hard Rock Hotel-Casino at the intersection of South Virginia Street and McCarran Boulevard, supporters said. "This is probably the most important thing that can happen in that area. There's a lot hanging on this," said Norm Dianda, owner of Q & D Construction Co. The RTC Friday debated whether to proceed with the Meadowood interchange as its top road project or if resources should be focused on other high priorities, including the planned improvement of the intersection of Pyramid Highway and McCarran and widening of northbound U.S. 395 between Moana Lane and Interstate 80. All three projects can likely occur on an accelerated schedule but the Meadowood interchange will proceed as the project offering the most immediate economic benefits, the RTC decided. That decision was backed by developers, construction workers and union representatives attending Friday's meeting. "We believe this is a good project. It will provide an economic boost to our community," said Steve Muchicko of the Carpenters Union 971. The project is "desperately needed" to address worsening traffic congestion near Meadowood Mall, said Tony Vail, the mall's general manager. Construction of the interchange is also a required if a major expansion planned at the mall can proceed, officials said. Developer Perry DiLoreto said a proposal to build a Hard Rock Hotel-Casino at the intersection of South Virginia and McCarran, still in the negotiation phase, would be doomed should the interchange not proceed as planned. "If we kill this project, this will go away," DiLoreto said. The hotel project is "meant to be a high-quality destination casino resort that we believe would represent a world-class addition to Reno's gaming community," Michael Soll, executive vice president of The Innovation Group, a consulting group, wrote in a letter to the RTC. The proposed hotel-casino "will depend" upon the new interchange, Soll wrote. Several speakers noted that the interchange was highlighted as a top priority project that would be funded by an increased fuel tax authorized by voters last November. Any move to slow the project down could endanger the RTC's credibility, said Tray Abney of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce. "I want to urge you to stay the course and move forward," agreed Grant Sims, who served on a blue ribbon committee established to plan the ballot question. Reno Mayor Bob Cashell stressed that needed improvements to the highly congested intersection at Pyramid and McCarran remain a top priority. "I want to make it clear Pyramid-McCarran will be the next project and we will move it forward," Cashell said. "Pyramid-McCarran has to be taken care of too."
Posted by: HardRockReno - 6/17/2010 12:25:53 AM
Expect an all glass, all suite hotel tower soon, with an entertainment district, parking garage(s), casino layout similar to HRLV, and many more. This is it! HRReno + Station Casinos+Park Lane Mall Project+South Meadows Project+Legends Bay Hotel-Casino=Success.
Posted by: Bugsy - 6/18/2010 9:34:21 AM
Hey Hardrock Reno, Where can I find out info on the proposed Hardrock hotel in Reno. I had never heard of it untill now. That would be awsome!!
Posted by: Bugsy - 6/18/2010 9:36:57 AM
Hey downtownmakeover dude, Did you hear anything about it. I had never heard of this. Can you find out?
Posted by: Matt - 6/18/2010 2:12:16 PM
Hey people, the Hard Rock still is on the table, now especially with the meadowood interchange project moving forward BUT given the instability in the economy and especially in Reno's gaming market, it will be 4 years at least before it opens and it won't be super huge like the one in Vegas, but likely similar amenities. Look at the site where it's proposed, it's not very big but could generate alot of people in that area I'm really a supporter of any new developments but we do have to be realistic Station Casinos is bankrupt and likely won't build in Reno anytime soon, they aren't even moving forward in Las Vegas, the park lane project is on hold because of the lack of demand in the retail sector and the south meadows project was iced. Legends Bay is a VERY likely contendor to get underway in the next 12 to 24 months BECAUSE Olympia, it's developer, is committed to our market, they have been feverishly attempting to gain financing and I think they got it in some form because it's moving forward. As for Hard Rock, I really do believe they want to build here and they will, just give them time, they have about 4 hotels under construction now and all aren't due to open until 2013 or 2014, so it will be at least until then, in my estimation, before they go ahead with Renos. Don't give up, there's alot going on in our market we will definitely come back and strong too because the Fitzgeralds is being remodeled in some form, just walk past the place and you'll see something is going on, Tessera in Downtown will move forward this year Im certain once those funds are issued. Let's watch and wait
Posted by: Anakin-Marc - 6/20/2010 1:06:27 PM
Any word on various other casino projects, like the one at Mt Rose or Keitzke and Virginia?
Posted by: UNLV Architect (formerly HardRockReno) - 6/20/2010 2:42:40 PM
Hopefully, the City of Reno City Council does not f-up on these new projects. If you may recall, it was the summer of '96 just after "project c" (now Silver Legacy) was announced. A chap named Bob Stupak arrived in the city chambers with his proposed "Big Shot" (now Stratosphere LV)which he was seeking permits to eventually build the Stratosphere on the new county parking lot located just south of the 9th District Court but was immediately on the defense when then council members shot down his project and than offended him by regarding him as a "drunk" and "mentally retarded" and not competent; long story short, Mr. Stupak countered those claims by saying that he will never return to this city and walked away with his renderings. Also, Project "C" (or vitamin C, never mind) original plans for a water roller coaster attraction was booted by Reno city council due to "unsafe" and "intimidating" to senior citizens passing by the building; as an alternative granted (and requested) by council, a big white useless dome, wow! Back in '83 a mega resort was proposed for South Reno (Old Town Mall,Burlington, Raley's site) called the "Centennial Plaza" a 4,000 room, 1 million sq.f (bigger than GSR) building connecting to the Reno/Sparks Convention Center; this project was shot down by Ms. Sferrazis papa with all financing in place. Moral of story, Reno once had a chance to compete with Vegas. Here is the firm (MBA architects which designed the recent Peppermill expansion) and renderings for Legend's Bay Casino, preliminary planning will start after HAN event. http://www.mbarenonv.com/lbmcrs.html Here are some interior renderings of what to expect for the new HReno, also expect Meadowwood Mall expansion which should look similar (with parking garage, valet) to Boulevard Mall Las Vegas: http://archplanner.com/luxury-vanity-at-hard-rock-hotel-las-vegas Note: no copyright infringement(s) intended, just links to support the websites.
Posted by: Matt - 6/20/2010 8:23:36 PM
UNLV architect, your information relating to past Reno projects are interesting, could you please tell me more about them, like Stupak's plans and the original plans for Project C, also how confident are you of what Meadowood is going to build and about Legends Bay and Hard Rock, if you have any info on these at all, please contact me at mattorchowski@yahoo.com. Thanks
Posted by: Tom - 6/20/2010 8:50:13 PM
Interesting revisionist history - Stupak's project which became the Stratosphere in LV was a complete financial disaster, he lost control of the project long before it was completed and the basic design was flawed from a structural aspect from the beginning. If Reno had a chance to make that happen here and passed (something I had never heard) then that was very wise thinking. How many of you seriously think any new casinos will be built in the Reno/Tahoe area in your lifetime? Look at the current casino business climate in Northern Nevada and ask yourself - would you loan your own money to finance the construciton of a new casino here? I didn't think so.
Posted by: Matt - 6/21/2010 8:50:47 AM
I tend to disagree with you on the fact that no new casino will be built in Reno in our lifetime, I believe there absolutley will be a new casino or two built in Reno, the market is down but has shown some sign of improvement, it's Vegas where that will become a reality, that town is overbuilt. The people at Olympia are 110% committed to Legends Bay and I believe that will be built in the next 2 years, really I do because they are working night and day to try to see that become a reality, and as for Hard Rock, they too are coming. It's just a matter of patience, Reno is not a lost market, we need the new inventory to come back from our slump
Posted by: Blake Crosby - 6/21/2010 3:01:28 PM
In the 1970's there was a casino building boom in Reno but also some growth problems attributed to it which led to the voting in of controlled growth advocates like Barbara Bennett as Mayor and Pete Sferrazza as Councilman which stopped Reno from becoming Vegas and a lot of big casion projects went to Vegas. And frankly, good. Do you really want to live in a city like Vegas with filth and dirt and crime and gangs and the casino industry is heavily service oriented with low wages. Why does everyone here keep getting a hard*n for big new casino projects? Our casino/hotel industry has gone from about a fifth of all local jobs in the 90's to less than 10% and falling fast. We were doing just fine with high tech companies moving here from California and they have much higher paying jobs with employees who spend more, shop at Sierra Summit, and don't steal your stuff for meth. We should embrace them instead of the gaming industry and quit subsidizing big new development projects with STAR (Subsidized Tax Advantage for the Rich). Tourism and gaming is old Reno. Let's support high tech industries. The more we tax everyone to subsidize tourism development and gaming projects, the less Californians will be willing to relocate to Reno to escape high taxes in California. Duh!
Posted by: Joe Salcedo - 6/23/2010 9:14:45 PM
Yes..more art!
Posted by: chad sorg - 12/1/2010 6:52:52 PM
Thnx Downtown Makeover.. You've got a great blog site and consistent. I'm a little late but I appreicate seeing the coverage here. My girlfriend tells me I need to SHOW them how good I am so did a vanity search and see ya talkin' about me. We're doing it again this year and the work seems to be getting spread out better and better each year. This is the 5th year and from the start, I said my 5 year plan is to have it run itself by year 5. The verdict is out so far, but can't wait to see you there!