Reno needs to get redevelopment right.
A rushed RAAB meeting, the draft ADU ordinance, an appeal related to apartments at Plumas & McCarran, and the latest news in local urban development
Well, my intention was to publish this Brief a day or two ago, not only out of respect for the holidays many are celebrating this weekend, but because so many major items are on deck next week, including a review of the draft ordinance to govern Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs); an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of an apartment project on the corner of Plumas & McCarran; and review of the “gap analysis” study for the Grand Sierra Resort’s arena by the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB). I knew we could all use the extra time to process and prepare.
One thing held me up: waiting for the City to post the materials related to the GSR analysis for the RAAB meeting, which is scheduled for 10:30am on Monday, April 21. So I waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, after 5pm on Friday night, those materials were finally posted on the City’s website. After 5pm on Friday!
So from the very get-go, that’s completely unacceptable. Even when it’s not a holiday weekend, you don’t give a citizen board ZERO business days to review the materials they’ll be discussing and formulating important recommendations about. And it’s not just about giving the RAAB itself ample time. The RAAB is where all residents are supposed to be able to participate in the discussion before these items move to the Redevelopment Agency Board (City Council), which according to this April 16, 2025 City Memo, is scheduled to make a decision about the GSR’s TIF request on May 7.
Added to that, look at these materials! It’s not like the City makes it easy for you, but if you manage to get to the meetings webpage, download the “Packet” (which, by the way, does not indicate that it was repeatedly updated) and go to page 122, you’ll find:
the Staff Report about the GSR project and three deal term options
31 pages of detailed slides including an overview of the project and a summary of the RDA-commissioned “gap analysis” study from Hunden Partners
a letter from the Meruolo Group (GSR) requesting that appointed RAAB member Michael Pagni recuse himself from any measures before the RAAB related to the Grand Sierra Resort due to his relationship with McDonald Carano (where he was once a partner)
a letter on McDonald Carano letterhead from a “Coalition” of gaming properties opposing the use of Tax Increment Financing for the Grand Sierra’s project and pointing out flaws in the Hunden Partners analysis and contradictions both in the RDA’s actions and stated policies and in the GSR’s statements about the project
An email summarizing the Coalition’s concerns, signed by representatives of Caesars Entertainment, the Atlantis (Monarch Casinos), Boomtown, the Peppermill, the Nugget, and the Bonanza
a detailed, 18-page Economic Analysis of the proposed GSR Arena conducted by an independent consultant hired by that Coalition that offers some wildly different conclusions than the City-commissioned Hunden Partners analysis
RAAB member Mike Van Houten has done a hero’s job of publishing three separate pieces related to the items on Monday’s RAAB agenda, which I highly encourage you to read, but I’m going to reiterate here that the City did not post these materials soon enough to hold a meeting about them on Monday, and I think it should be postponed.
Among other things, one of the Coalition’s points is that according to the Redevelopment Agency’s own documents, there is “little need for redevelopment” on the GSR’s properties. And they’re right. Here’s part of that section of the Participation Programs document.
Those documents, of course, were hurriedly and with very little discussion put together last year as the City scrambled to adopt all the policies to govern the RDA—which as I stated last August and again in October, were formulated by a private consultant without any public participation or community engagement regarding specific priorities and goals for the redevelopment areas. So we never got to discuss as a City what types of potential projects on this property (which is in Redevelopment Area 2) should be eligible for RDA financing. The RDA plan said one thing, the initial analysis by the RDA said another, and a whole lot of important players in our market still disagree. This should have been determined through more substantive public discussion long before now.
But here we are. Redevelopment financing is being proposed for a privately-owned arena that may or may not provide the community with the benefits claimed; the citizen advisory board tasked with reviewing this complicated “gap analysis” has had practically no time to evaluate it; and ultimately the decision on whether to grant a public financing deal to the Grand Sierra Resort will rest with elected officials who for the most part received campaign donations from the applicant, from one or more of the gaming entities comprising the “Coalition” opposing this deal, or from all of the above. Oh, and throw in a little pressure from the leadership of the University of Nevada, Reno to approve the deal, just to involve another major local power player.
What a mess.
I’ll start with the details on that RAAB meeting, which is slated to cover other important items, too, followed by more previews of this week’s items and recent news.
4/21: Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB)
The RAAB has a total of four items to review on Monday, including the appraisal and transfer of 10 parcels in RDA2 from the City of Reno for future redevelopment (B.2, covered by Downtown Makeover here) and the three below. You can view the RAAB agenda here and the packet here and tune in yourself via this link.
B.1 - The FY26 Redevelopment Agency Operating Plan
What are these $16 million worth of items up for approval? It’s on page 24 of the packet and there are a lot of line items (like a million more dollars for the “ReStore” program?) but no detailed explanations. I hope the RAAB asks a LOT of questions.
C.1 - TIF application from E. Commercial Row LLC
This is a new application for Tax Increment Financing for the Commercial Row Residential Development of 175 For Sale Townhomes, Streetscapes, and Public Improvements at 1035 E. Commercial Row. Here’s Mike Van Houten’s overview:
For-Sale Townhome Project to go before RAAB (Downtown Makeover, 4/18/25)
The RAAB will decide whether to recommend advancing this to the “gap analysis” phase, assessing the increment revenue projections and overall financial feasibility, and negotiating the terms and conditions of TIF participation. Staff recommends yes.
C.2 - Review of the Financial Gap Analysis and Proposed Deal Terms for the GSR Expansion and Arena Project
As I stated above, the RAAB is slated to recommend to the RDA Board possible approval of the deal terms and execution of a final participation agreement. Mike Van Houten has quickly put together an overview of the pros and cons of this deal here:
GSR arena funding gap analysis to be heard at April 21 RAAB Meeting (Downtown Makeover, 4/19/25)
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of major gaming corporations applying for public redevelopment financing, this just in (although there’s no application from Jacobs yet):
Jacobs wants to build affordable housing downtown — but needs city's help to pay for it (Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/18/25)
City of Reno Meetings: Week of April 21, 2025
[NOTE: The April 16 Reno Planning Commission meeting was cancelled due to a power outage; I’ll let you know when I hear if it’s been rescheduled.]
Below are the regularly scheduled City meetings this coming week. Links to agendas and supporting materials are on the City’s Current and Upcoming Meetings webpage. Consult each agenda for links to register for online viewing and participation.
Mon., April 21, 10:30am - Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (Agenda)
Mon., April 21, 4pm - Arts & Culture Commission (Agenda)
Tues., April 22, 9:30am - Building Enterprise Fund Advisory Committee (Agenda)
Wed., April 23, 10am - Reno City Council (HTML Agenda) and Reno Redevelopment Agency Board (HTML Agenda)
Thurs., April 24, 9:15am - Stormwater Permit Coordinating Committee (Agenda)
Thurs., April 24, 10am - Washoe Co. HOME Consortium Directors (Agenda)
Thurs., April 24, 5:30pm - Youth City Council (Agenda)
4/23: Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
You can find the complete agenda for Reno City Council here and Redevelopment Agency Board (also City Council) here, so be sure to scan through them for items of interest to you. As usual, I’ll just highlight a few with links to development. The Redevelopment Agency Board meeting doesn’t have a separate listed time from the City Council meeting, so I’ll just include an item from that one with the prefix RDA.
Item C.1 - Draft Ordinance for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
This is the first opportunity for City Council to view the draft ADU ordinance as a body after months of community input, and provide feedback. They’re not adopting anything at this meeting. You can view the Staff Report here and consult the agenda for the draft ordinance, summary of public comments, and the lot size map.
NOTE: The City has changed the name of its “Zoning Code Clean-Up” webpage to “City of Reno Zoning Code Items.” There, you can find information on the ADU ordinance including the draft ordinance, its key components, recent steps & more.
Item I.1 - Plumas Redevelopment Appeal - no earlier than 6pm
As you can read in the Staff Report, this is an appeal of the Planning Commission’s December 5, 2024 decision to approve a conditional use permit for a 273-unit apartment complex on the SE corner of Plumas Street and South McCarran Boulevard. Appeals were filed by Terry Ruppert, a board member of the Lakeridge Villa HOA and by the applicant (to preserve their right to judicial review).
The HOA’s appeal cited concerns for traffic safety, fire safety, neighborhood compatibility, misrepresentation of the findings, lack of benefits to the neighborhood, apartment vacancy rates, and quality of life. Items linked on the agenda include the appeals; the Planning Commission staff report and draft minutes; the applicant presentation and staff presentation (outlining the staff’s analysis) from January; a traffic impact study, public comments, and a LOT of supplemental documentation.
Some of that supplemental documentation is included in a City of Reno memo dated April 15, 2025 from the City Clerk to the Mayor and City Council and consists of correspondence received from the applicant summarizing their account of the neighbors’ concerns and how and why they have (or have not) addressed them.
There are a number of other development-related items on the City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board agendas, so I urge you to click on the Staff Report links below for more info and consult the corresponding agenda for additional materials.
Item C.2 - Downtown Updates (Staff Report)
Item C.3 - State Legislature updates, discussion, potential direction (Staff Report)
Item C.4 - Sale of City property at 1940 East 4th Street to Hooten Real Estate LLC (Staff Report)
Item C.5 - Items related to the assessment roll for the DRP (Staff Report)
Items D.1 to D.3 - Arlington Office MPA and ZMA (see agenda for Staff Reports)
Item D.4 - Earl Wooster and Corbett Zone Change (Staff Report)
RDA B.1 - Quitclaim to parcel at 1940 East 4th Street (Staff Report)
To comment on any items on the April 23 Reno City Council or Reno Redevelopment Agency Board agendas, you can deliver comments in person or virtually by registering here. Comments can also be delivered in advance by submitting public comment via Reno.Gov/PublicComment; by emailing Publiccomment@reno.gov; or by leaving a voicemail at 775-393-4499.
Comments must be received by 4pm on Tuesday to be provided to Council in advance of their Wednesday meeting. You can also find Councilmembers’ individual email addresses in my Citizen Guide.
Updates on Past City Council Items: 1Up Club and J Resort
Articles about City Council meetings from This is Reno sometimes aren’t published as quickly as those from other outlets, but their detail and additional investigative work are worth the wait. If you haven’t yet subscribed, now is definitely the time. Two new articles covering items from the April 9th City Council meeting came out this week, and the one about the 1Up Club is an absolute shocker.
City Council denies 1UP club appeal to extend live music to early morning (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, April 18, 2025)
City Council upholds conditional use permit for the J Resort, outdoor entertainment (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 4/14/25)
Here's just an excerpt from the first one:
“According to City Clerk Mikki Huntsman, as a result of 1UP’s CUP application prior to the Planning Commission meeting in February, ‘an inquiry by the city revealed two shootings resulting in homicide investigations, one involving a drug deal, the other a drive-by shooting into the entrance relating to ongoing fights, retaliation from prior weekends, assault (simple and aggravated), burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, murder [and] intimidation.’”
As if that weren’t enough, the article documents dozens of code complaints about the property, and not just the booming bass levels but a vast array of code violations. Perhaps more than anything, what this shows me is that it’s one thing for the City to impose a list of conditions when they issue a permit, but what truly matters is whether the City has the ability and resources to enforce those conditions along with ensuring adherence to city code and maintenance of a safe environment.
Obviously City Council denied a new live entertainment permit for the 1Up Club (although without stating why), but in the future, I don’t want to hear anyone at the City using “Reno is a 24-hour town!” to justify allowing a business to operate in the 24-hour “Entertainment District” if they’re going to simultaneously demonstrate that the City doesn’t have the ability to keep these venues and those who patronize them safe.
Follow the Money
It’s budget season, and the plans, explanations, and justifications are flying. Here’s a bunch of recent articles covering everything from Reno’s train trench debt to the City’s plans to address this year’s deficit—and a little about Washoe County, too.
How much does Reno still owe on the train trench? And how long will it take to pay off? (Jaedyn Young, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/4/25)
What’s Reno’s proposed plan for next year’s shortfall? Cuts and freezes, while debt hovers (Jaedyn Young, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/15/25)
Reno City Council gets update on $8.6 million budget shortfall, sewer rates to rise (Kelsey Penrose, This is Reno, 4/15/25)
‘All belts need to be tightened’: County budget projected to have $8 million deficit next year (Kristen Hackbarth, This is Reno, 4/16/25)
A number of bills moving through the state legislative session would have a direct impact on city and county finances. Here’s a reminder of one of those:
Legislature resurrects proposal to reset property tax valuation when home is sold (April Corbin Girnus, Nevada Current, 4/1/25)
NEWS DIGEST: The latest in local urban development
City data shows upward trend in homeless concerns (Kristen Hackbarth, This is Reno, 4/8/25)
Data Centers: Economic benefit or environmental boondoggle? (Richard Bednarski, Sierra Nevada Ally, 4/13/25)
Landlord Greystar, with 5 Reno apartment complexes, sued over 'deceptive' rents (Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/15/25)
New burgers, new pizza, new book store, maybe new offices, new residential, in development tidbits (Mike Van Houten, Downtown Makeover, 4/16/25)
Fees, rent control, price gouging: Housing bills to watch at Nevada Legislature (Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/17/25)
Reno-Sparks housing inventory sees its biggest jump since the COVID-19 pandemic (Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/17/25)
Here are the projects included in Jacobs' $128 million Reno Neon Line update (Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal, 4/17/25)
Input desired on the Teglia’s Paradise Park Master Plan
The City of Reno wants more input on its proposed Master Plan for Teglia’s Paradise Park, so they’ve extended the deadline for public input to April 28, 2025. More here.
That’s all for today. I wish you all a beautiful weekend.
Be sure to check out my Citizen Guide for helpful resources and links to help anyone become more informed and engaged in issues related to urban development (& more) in Reno.
You can view this and prior newsletters on my Substack site, subscribe to receive each new edition in your email inbox, and follow the Brief (and contribute to the ongoing conversation) on X, Facebook & Instagram. If you feel inspired to contribute, you may purchase a paid subscription through Substack or contribute via Venmo at @Dr-Alicia-Barber or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510.
Hyperlinking to the Van Houten pieces you mention would be helpful. Trying to get up to speed.