CommRow News

In a rather contentious City Council / Redevelopment Agency meeting, the “sale” of the Fitzgerald’s Garage land lease to the parties that control CommRow (Don Wilson and Fernando Leal – Donando?) was approved.   The terms of the sale are contingent upon CommRow opening their first phase this Fall, and you can read more about it in the RGJ.  The article has a lot more information about the project than was revealed in the Council meeting (hotel not opening until April 2012), so it looks like Leal finally consented to be interviewed by Susan Voyles.

With all the dominoes in place, the CommRow gag order looks like it has been lifted by the developer, and project information is being posted at the CommRow Facebook page and at Downtown Makeover.

Here’s the first look at some of the garage improvements – skate and bicycle on the roof and zip lines across Virginia street to the ReTrak trench cover.

Click to see Supersized.

The Virgina Street entrance looks wide open, and I like the new openings and trellis on Commercial.  Restrooms are HUGE for the occupancy!

 No locker rooms or showers for the climbers?  They are going to smell pretty ripe on the Lido Deck after a 163 foot ascent!  I wish more windows would have been added to help with the cave feeling.

   I’m wondering how the rabbit warren of offices will be used.  I wish the signature resteraunt had its own restrooms.

So unless you were part of one of the focus groups, this is a first look at Phase 1 of CommRow.

There has been a lot of comments over at DTM that CommRow in itself might not be a large enough catalyst to jumpstart redevelopment of the casino core, and I tend to agree.  The addition of CommRow taking over the events programming over the trench will be a major plus if they pull it off.  I would really like to see the Eldorado do some work to open up their facility more to the trench cover, though much of their frontage is their loading docks.  Harrah’s is the wild card, and is really in a position to benefit from the activity created by the climbing wall.  I hope they take this opportunity to spruce up their plaza and create a nice area to view the climbers.  They could make a fortune with a paint ball franchise aimed at the climbers!

39 comments

  1. Roamer

    Mike,

    The El Dorado and Harrah’s are mostly preoccupied with appealing the assesor’s latest valuation and trying to get their taxes reduced even further. How many years in a row have all the downtown hotels protested their taxes and received more and more reductions?
    There is much (unintended?) irony in your thread. How these downtown operators are going to benefit from future renovation when they constantly knock down the door at the assesor’s to get their tax bill reduced. The Redevelopment Agency is broke and effectively out of business because of the ever dwindling tax base downtown.

  2. Norton

    I’m sorry, but this just sounds like one big gimmicky thing to me. Climbing wall and ziplines and skating on the roof? It sounds like downtown will be turning into a permanent carnival. Kind of place everybody wants to go to. Once.
    Who gets the cotton candy concession?

  3. BanteringBear

    “…and zip lines across Virginia street to the ReTrak trench cover.”

    Onto a urine soaked landing pad where derelicts hustle spare change for another half pint of white lightning?

  4. Steve Herschbach

    Hi BanteringBear,

    Your are obviously one of the more prescient posters here. I am just a guy from Alaska who likes Reno because by comparison to my norm (6 months of winter with no light, no entertainment, some of the highest suicide, drinking, and abuse statistics in the nation, etc) it seems pretty nice. So I bought a second home there, and not regretting it even though it continues to drop in value on paper. That does not matter in my big picture.

    You saw the bubble in Reno and elsewhere, and deserve credit for your analysis of the underlying reality. You are skeptical of this new development, and rightly so given the track record of the developers.

    So respecting your opinion, what do you see? Does Reno have a future? Ever? I know and repect your opinions on the negative side – they are well grounded. But in your opinion is there anything that you can see happening that will lead to a better future in Reno?

  5. The Banker

    You promise to pay me this time. Good enough.

    Can we say this will be Reno’s next big foreclosure!!

  6. bob_c

    What does any city have? Life is pretty much your friends and family. Most cities have a bad part. I think the river park is very cool…its reno’s only beach. South suburban, lakeridge, juniper hills and newlands are pretty damn nice neighborhoods.
    And the climate here is varied…which appeals to many. Quit hating on reno…..or you’ll be banished to central california.

  7. red

    Gimmicky? And are Casinos not? Any idea to possibly get people off the couch, (or slot machine stool) sounds like it has potential to me. I think the more variety the better. As BB points out, changing the cycle down there will be a formidable task. Kudos for anyone trying.

  8. AKB

    It’s a food court and a climbing wall. I was at the mall today and they have a food court, a huge bungee launch thing and a Cinetopia. Isn’t that pretty much what leals building here? Leal has never made a dollar of profit on anything he’s done downtown yet he continues to garner kudos and support for what he does. He does have an uncanny ability for spending too much money to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong product. This 11th hour nonsense after months of promises does nothing to give me any more confidence in this guy.

  9. oldjohnny

    AKB you crack me up with your observation skills. I think Nando’s a putz, but now that he’s torn up the Fitz and the Primadonna, may as well give him the parking garage to gut out too. Oh, wait, there’s nothing in the garage to tear apart. Never mind.
    Anyone with a small amount of sense can see what is going to happen here, I try not to be too negative especially on Mike’s DTM site, but I forecast this future here: Half of this thing is going to get built, some people will try it, then the operating costs will outweigh the profits, and it will close again. Just my pessimistic 2 cents. I just wish I had his connections…

  10. Mike McGonagle

    Maybe a putz, but Leal is no dummy. The garage deal has been pretty iffy for months now, and you have to believe he had a Plan B, even if it didn’t have the full backing of his financial backer. I’d be willing to bet that he had a garage lease deal with the Eldorado if all else failed. Eldorado wrote a glowing recommendation for the CommRow project. And now the CommRow hotel portion is delayed until April 2012 (a nod to the neighbor?). Watch for Eldorado’s sponsorship of some of the early climbing events.

    UNR has crappiest retail / entertainment district of any college I’ve ever seen. I’m sure CR is aiming for a lot of that market with their “food court”. Plus they have 2 live entertainment venues being booked by the folks at the Knitting Factory.

    I’m really sceptically about the viability of some of the elements of CR, but as a whole, I think it has a shot. Some of the food concepts I’ve heard rumored sound great, others atrocious. Does pet friendly only really mean a 1500 SF basement kennel area? I can’t see taking Mom downtown for a zip line ride over Virginia Street.

    But remember, the Fitz is bleeding money for its investors now. With a little investment to open CR, it may bleed a little less – it doesn’t have to be a runaway hit to pencil out for them.

  11. AKB

    Mike I think you have hit the nail on the head. My thought all along is that this is just a “lipstick on a pig” thing to coast through the current unpleasantness and revalue the Fitz so that it might be marketable at a later date. What makes me bitter is that Leal is the one who killed off the iconic Fitz in the first place. Icon; gone. 400 jobs; gone. 800K in lease payments; gone. I am not ashamed to say that I want it back to being the Fitz…there is no rational thought here…it is just what I’d like to see. And I believe that if the Fitz had been alowed to die a “natural” death without Cashell and Nando it would probably have been purchased at auction for a fair price by someone(s) willing to reopen it. The Fitz survived for a long time despite what was thrown at it and I often wonder what would have become of it under different and better owners. So now Nando is “all in” as they say. He’s hoping for a nice long roll with no 7s. Funny how life imitates gambling. That’s my .02cents.

  12. AKB

    Mike I think you have hit the nail on the head. My thought all along is that this is just a “lipstick on a pig” thing to coast through the current unpleasantness and revalue the Fitz so that it might be marketable at a later date. What makes me bitter is that Leal is the one who killed off the iconic Fitz in the first place. Icon; gone. 400 jobs; gone. 800K in lease payments; gone. I am not ashamed to say that I want it back to being the Fitz…there is no rational thought here…it is just what I’d like to see. And I believe that if the Fitz had been alowed to die a “natural” death without Cashell and Nando it would probably have been purchased at auction for a fair price by someone(s) willing to reopen it. The Fitz survived for a long time despite what was thrown at it and I often wonder what would have become of it under different and better owners. So now Nando is “all in” as they say. He’s hoping for a nice long roll with no 7s. Funny how life imitates gambling. That’s my .02cents. Old Johnny and I are in for a total of 4 cents….

  13. bob_c

    What would the nay-sayers desire to be built on the next failed casino? I’d like to hear constructive ideas.

  14. Woodrow Stool

    bob_c:

    Indoor kart track.

    You might laugh, but this is huge in Europe. All you need is an empty multi-story building, development $$, and a good airport close by. We’ve got two out of three, the Nando plan lacks a pair right out of the gate.

  15. Richard

    Right now Virginia Street looks like the carnival just left town and did not bother to clean up on its way out. So maybe having things look like the carnival is still in town will be an improvement.

  16. Nomad

    Yes, but this isn’t Europe!

  17. MikeZ

    I can’t see taking Mom downtown for a zip line ride over Virginia Street.

    I was in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and the zip lines at Freemont Street were packed and had waiting lines. Maybe the idea’s not so far-fetched …

  18. MikeZ

    Indoor kart track.

    The Grand Sierra has 2 (3?) separate go-kart tracks and none appear to be doing much business when I’ve been in the area.

  19. Woodrow Stool

    I was really kidding about the kart track, should have made that clearer. It would fail here, I agree this is not Europe, but some of the indoor tracks in Europe are simply amazing.

    Maybe CommRow will be successfull, I hope so, but as someone else said, I’m still waiting for the first truly successful project in Reno by this particular developer.

  20. bob_c

    Theres only one thing that everyone wants for to replace a casino downtown— a respected high tech company HQ

  21. Comebackkid

    “But remember, the Fitz is bleeding money for its investors now. With a little investment to open CR, it may bleed a little less – it doesn’t have to be a runaway hit to pencil out for them.”

    Hows that? You mean they’ll just lose a little less each month? What about operational costs for this type of proposal? OVER Virginia Street? Insurance costs will be astronomical. If the finances are based on the backs of the UNR students – good luck. They have less money to spend then the climbers that will visit – for the short time its open.
    BTW- what ever happened to the seemingly more rational luxury hotel idea that was floated when ‘Nando closed the place? Why does it all have to be over the top, therefore less likely to work?
    More importantly – where does he find his investors???

  22. AKB

    A luxury hotel costs money. The current scheme is about as budget minded as you can get and still be in the game. CommRow calls it “creative re-use” which is a fancy earth friendly catch phrase for low budget.

  23. Phil

    And, as has been said here before, “luxury” and “downtown Reno” are incompatible. You going to build a luxury hotel in the midst the liquor stores, the pawn shops, the tee shirt joints, and the sleazy bars?
    It may be that an on-the-cheap climbing wall, zipline, fastfood operation is the highest and best use for the Fitz.

  24. billddrummer

    Somehow I think the highest and best use of the Fitz is the same as the old Harold’s Club–a vacant lot.

  25. Comebackkid

    AKB – I didn’t read into it that it was a budget minded proposal, but maybe it is. And as Phil says maybe ‘budget minded’ is the best use. If that’s the case though, I have to question where any money is being made. Removing the casino, adding a climbing wall? Serious financial suicide.

  26. rory

    Comebackkid: Casino’s have huge overheads (taxes, electricity, gaming machines, tracking systems, surveillance etc.) and many costs associated with their licensing. A casino is not a money maker unto itself. A climbing wall has a big upfront cost but after that it’s fairly low maintenance and cheap to operate.

  27. AKB

    I am skeptical about the cash flow from a climbing wall. Here in Portland you can get a day pass at a huge indoor bouldering gym for about $10.00. So how much to climb the wall at CommRow? $20.00? $30.00? How many times would you physicaly be able to climb it in a day? 2? Maybe 3? So it certainly would not be the price of a lift ticket. Lets say you average 200 people a day at $20.00 each for the wall. Thats $120,000 a month. Not exactly a “barn burner” as we used to say. I know there are other areas where they hope to make cake as well but it all strikes me as small change stuff that can’t support I major building and hotel. Remember this is not a low overhead project when you add in insurance, taxes, garage lease, maint, security, payroll etc. But then again Leal has the lease payment thing dicked….just don’t pay! In any event I am sure Leal has done some due diligence and assembled some sort of business plan with projections and graphs and studies and blinking lights that tell how this will work. I for one would LOVE to see it becuause you can be sure this all pencils out on paper.

  28. Pac10er

    Doesn’t downtown Reno now have a new “luxury” hotel in the new Siena? I was sure the owners said it is 5 Star quality. So what if it opened with a thud.

  29. Comebackkid

    Rory, if that’s the argument for a climbing wall being more profitable than a casino I have to respectfully disagree with you. Good luck supporting yourself on $20 tickets by young fit climbers, while the rooms sit vacant.

  30. Renoite

    So much conjecture, and so little valid information to base it on. If you naysayers spent half the time doing something positive for downtown, we might have a community of locals and visitors there instead of a failing economic model. Gaming is not an exclusive attraction any more. What other developer is putting any private (yes…entirely private) money into Reno now? Name one. And what do you do? Spend time shooting holes into ideas you don’t even know are valid or not. Pathetic.

    Instead of being negative about this development, why not support the idea and give it a chance? You have absolutely no idea what the revenue bases are projected for this facility. I know this for a fact… it wouldn’t becoming a reality if it didn’t pencil out with extremely conservative estimates.

    Your revenue estimates are wholly incorrect. Your theories are without merit. And your attitude is one of the reasons downtown is suffering. Get some civic pride and support a developer who’s at least trying to change our perception of an outdated, second rate gambling town.

    Thank God we’re not waiting on you for solutions to our problems.

  31. Reno Ignoramus

    According to the American Gaming Association, Reno is now Number 13 in gaming markets by annual revenue in the USA.
    And, losing ground.
    The sooner anybody with an idea for downtown Reno abandons the notion of gambling, the better.
    I recognize that Mr. Leal has yet to produce anything in Reno that was a financial success, and I do not have stars in my eyes about him. But at least the guy understands that it is no longer 1970.

  32. Renoite

    There are hundreds of people living in the Montage…and more closing escrow every month. Leal and his partners lost millions on the deal, because of market timing. The building (if you haven’t seen it) is the finest in Reno (including the Palladio). How is that a failure for anyone but the developer? The only loser on the Montage was the developers. For Reno, it’s a tremendously positive addition.

  33. Woodrow Stool

    Hey Renoite – haven’t you worked for Leal, helping him get the “good word out” on the Montage? Aren’t you doing the same for the CommRow project?

    Just asking … you sure look like the guy from SmartBrand LLC to me!

  34. Walter

    Reonite certainly seems to be shilling for Leal. Sure he isn’t the Downtown Makeover Dude in disguise?
    The Montage was an unmitigated failure for the builder, Mr. Leal. Any suggestion to the contrary insults the intelligence of any thinking person reading this blog.
    Perhaps Reonite is a bit angry at the roasting Leal took in the current edition of the Reno News and Review.

  35. AKB

    LOL!! So Renoite…are you sure climbing is not going to go the way of BMX biking, skateboarding and inline skates? All three of these fads peaked in the 90s and are now down 45%-65%. Staking the future on downtown because one desperate and failed developer lofts up a Hail Mary without some skepticism is a bit naïve. Ever stop to think about what this mess will look like if it’s vacant? Ever stop to think about what a 40% downturn in interest in climbing will do to this? I love your passion for Leal and his “project” but you need to look long and hard at what Leal has done and how much he has ALREADY cost downtown in lost jobs and revenue before you bemoan the fact that not everyone is on board with this guy. Sometimes even the “only choice” is a poor one. But I guess when Leal and his food court/ climbing gym are all ya got it’s better not to ask any questions at all.

  36. Steve Watts

    “There are hundreds of people living in the Montage.” Oh Renoite, you’d be much more persuasive without wild exaggerations.

    “Gaming is not an exclusive attraction any more.” Neither is wall-climbing. Or river restaurants. Or tattoo shops. Gaming still pays the big bucks…you should see what visitors throw down on busy weekends. The reason Reno is losing its gaming identity is a lack of investment from casino owners, and a lack of support from the city and newcomers. We’re still going from big dollars to small dollars downtown.

  37. Comebackkid

    ‘How is that a failure for anyone but the developer? The only loser on the Montage was the developers’
    Seriously Renoite? Last I heard TARP had to take over the bank that Leal never paid. And who funded TARP? Oh that’s right the taxpayers -us! The loser list is long and factual, but don’t let that get in your way.
    BTW – questioning a major project proposed by a developer that just had his last one implode is what everybody interested in the downtown should be doing. The possibility others will be picking up the pieces is real.

  38. MikeZ

    There are hundreds of people living in the Montage…and more closing escrow every month.

    Are they living in the dark?

    I walk through Downtown about weekly somewhere in the 8-10 pm range and The Montage is almost completely dark, every time. I don’t recall ever seeing more than 5 units (facing Virginia St) with lights on.

  39. billddrummer

    Anyone willing to comment on the RNR piece about this project and its visionary, Mr. Leal?

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