With the concessions that Jacobs got he can hold on to the properties for a time and then sell them off to developers at a profit, having done nothing for Reno, except donate to local politicians who lack a greater vision for the area and take what they can for themselves.
I went on Google Streetview last week, set it to 2015, and drove down 4th Street. It's like I had an inspiration. It was full of businesses like you write. The motels did need code enforcement, but at least they were there. Now we have a wasteland of empty lots. Why did Reno City Council not enforce codes and encourage redevelopment that would enhance the area? Why did they cave to Jacobs and allow parking lots and festival grounds that don't benefit the locals? It's depressing.
That is exactly what I said to Schieve about those hotels when she launched in to her defense. Why wasn’t the city enforcing and what else is she doing now to stop sex trafficking. Just because the hotel structures are gone does not mean the activity is gone.
Wow, we sure spend a lot of cycles and money trying to "fix" Downtown, a place no one I know in Reno ever visits.
I could think of about eleventy bazillion better things the city could spend its time and money on than making Downtown (whose entire raison d'etre is to attract people from out of town) more alluring for locals. Instead, perhaps the dozen or so Downtown property owners themselves should spend their own money in sprucing up the neighborhood.
I am pretty sure what kind of reaction I would get from the City Council if I demanded compensation for landscaping the front yard of my home, even though it would improve the neighborhood and provide employment to others.
Downtown is a mess because of the past decisions of gaming businesses and lick-spittle City Councils. Since no one involved has learned anything from past mistakes (just take a walk west down 4th Street from Ralston and enjoy a full city block of newly erected pedestrian friendly blank wall on your left), I can't imagine they are about to start making the right decisions now. And for what? Why is Downtown important to anyone in Reno aside from the gaming interests who own property there . . . and the local politicians they put into office?
I cannot wait until we have a mayor who is more detail oriented. Schieve is all over the place and its become worse with Bryant as ICM. Duerr has a hard couple of years ahead.
There is so much I could suggest, but I'll start with housing and landlords. How can Reno accurately determine how much new housing should be allowed if they don't tally how many vacant units exist?
A vacancy tax that requires quarterly tallies of vacancies, and that includes Airbnb, then we can accurately see what remedies are required.
The pedestrian problem could be solved if the City (bureaucrats, council members, the mayor) asked the right questions. First, what works? Riverwalk, parks, green spaces, even Midtown has foot traffic. What doesn't work? Vacant store fronts, giant casinos with nothing facing Virginia or Sierra streets except concrete and garage entrances, and the city run albatross superfecta of the underused events center, ballroom, bowling stadium, and former bus station on University Ave.
What brings a vibrant downtown and pedestrians? Local stores besides smoke shops, pawn shops, and liquor stores. Restaurants, bars, cafés, grocery stores, interesting shops. These attract tourists and locals.
What doesn't work? Infill (vacant lots), empty store fronts, useless shops, vagrants, no parking, and closing a major thoroughfare for some festival or another. People drive there, park in a casino garage, hang out for an hour, then leave.
Downtown, to have a vibrant street life, needs affordable housing, a supermarket, and necessities. We don't need another RPM. Downtown needs people, residents, locals, and tourists.
The events center needs a new roof. There's no money to repair it. Turn the bowling stadium into a giant grocery superstore. Think outside the box and stop wasting money on study after study that either fails or is ignored.
All of this suggests to me that Jacobs is stalling while seeking a financial partner. I just hope that doesn't turn out to be The Trump Organization!
With the concessions that Jacobs got he can hold on to the properties for a time and then sell them off to developers at a profit, having done nothing for Reno, except donate to local politicians who lack a greater vision for the area and take what they can for themselves.
I went on Google Streetview last week, set it to 2015, and drove down 4th Street. It's like I had an inspiration. It was full of businesses like you write. The motels did need code enforcement, but at least they were there. Now we have a wasteland of empty lots. Why did Reno City Council not enforce codes and encourage redevelopment that would enhance the area? Why did they cave to Jacobs and allow parking lots and festival grounds that don't benefit the locals? It's depressing.
That is exactly what I said to Schieve about those hotels when she launched in to her defense. Why wasn’t the city enforcing and what else is she doing now to stop sex trafficking. Just because the hotel structures are gone does not mean the activity is gone.
Wow, we sure spend a lot of cycles and money trying to "fix" Downtown, a place no one I know in Reno ever visits.
I could think of about eleventy bazillion better things the city could spend its time and money on than making Downtown (whose entire raison d'etre is to attract people from out of town) more alluring for locals. Instead, perhaps the dozen or so Downtown property owners themselves should spend their own money in sprucing up the neighborhood.
I am pretty sure what kind of reaction I would get from the City Council if I demanded compensation for landscaping the front yard of my home, even though it would improve the neighborhood and provide employment to others.
Downtown is a mess because of the past decisions of gaming businesses and lick-spittle City Councils. Since no one involved has learned anything from past mistakes (just take a walk west down 4th Street from Ralston and enjoy a full city block of newly erected pedestrian friendly blank wall on your left), I can't imagine they are about to start making the right decisions now. And for what? Why is Downtown important to anyone in Reno aside from the gaming interests who own property there . . . and the local politicians they put into office?
I cannot wait until we have a mayor who is more detail oriented. Schieve is all over the place and its become worse with Bryant as ICM. Duerr has a hard couple of years ahead.
There is so much I could suggest, but I'll start with housing and landlords. How can Reno accurately determine how much new housing should be allowed if they don't tally how many vacant units exist?
A vacancy tax that requires quarterly tallies of vacancies, and that includes Airbnb, then we can accurately see what remedies are required.
The pedestrian problem could be solved if the City (bureaucrats, council members, the mayor) asked the right questions. First, what works? Riverwalk, parks, green spaces, even Midtown has foot traffic. What doesn't work? Vacant store fronts, giant casinos with nothing facing Virginia or Sierra streets except concrete and garage entrances, and the city run albatross superfecta of the underused events center, ballroom, bowling stadium, and former bus station on University Ave.
What brings a vibrant downtown and pedestrians? Local stores besides smoke shops, pawn shops, and liquor stores. Restaurants, bars, cafés, grocery stores, interesting shops. These attract tourists and locals.
What doesn't work? Infill (vacant lots), empty store fronts, useless shops, vagrants, no parking, and closing a major thoroughfare for some festival or another. People drive there, park in a casino garage, hang out for an hour, then leave.
Downtown, to have a vibrant street life, needs affordable housing, a supermarket, and necessities. We don't need another RPM. Downtown needs people, residents, locals, and tourists.
The events center needs a new roof. There's no money to repair it. Turn the bowling stadium into a giant grocery superstore. Think outside the box and stop wasting money on study after study that either fails or is ignored.
Peace.