Okay, there is so much going on downtown… it’s hard for me to keep track. But I found a really good rundown for you compiled by Scott Schrantz on AroundCarson.com.
My added commentary? The Riverwalk Residences, one of our earliest condo conversion projects, is finally on the verge of occupancy, more than six months late. Though a real plain jane on the outside, the inside finishes and layouts are top notch. They priced these units well, which is why most of them sold so quickly. Lots of UNR parents are buying these for their kids.
The Palladio has always been kind of a sexy project because it’s right on the river’s edge across from the Century Theaters in the heart of it all. Their website seems to get slicker every six months, but they never commit to pricing. The building is going up, as are the starting price points, I imagine.
My current favorite downtown project is the Montage, which will finally bring some serious contemporary architecture to our little city. This project plans to rip the Golden Phoenix down to its steel studs and completely rebuild from the inside out. This is the one I bought into myself. The only issue is that their prices keep going up, like, almost every day. I wonder if they may be getting a little too aggressive.
Other projects:
The Colonial Garden Court conversion, next to the Montage, a motor inn turning into 46 units. It’s kind of a neat little mid-century building in the heart of downtown with prices starting in the mid one-hundreds.
North River Place is a conversion plan for the long vacant and extremely ugly Kings Inn into 130 condominiums. Cathexes, an innovative local archtecture firm, recently released a intriguing conceptual drawing loaded with contemporary flair. If they actually do the building as planned, it will add some wonderful lines to our emerging skyline.
Nearby, the Sierra Towers are ready for occupancy with one bedrooms starting in the $170K range. This is a basic building with nicely sized, modest units, many with excellent mountain views. This project is a few blocks outside the main downtown area, but they’re a very good value.
The Waterfront is a huge 35-story double tower project on the river, but no pricing has been announced thus far. The location is fabulous with potentially incredible views.
SilverStar Communities’s Village on the River is a townhome community planned for right across the river from The Waterfront. If the developer stays true to its plan to keep prices in the $250K-$325K range, this one looks like a real winner worth watching.
The Village at Idlewild Park is a mile or two away from downtown, but in an excellent Old Southwest location within easy biking distance. Across the street from Idlewild Park and the Truckee River, if prices really do start at $170K, this looks like a very good buy.
Not too far from downtown but still on the radar is the Grand Sierra Resort. This project is huge. Grandiose, really. They’re taking the Hilton property and converting it into a mega resort, complete with an indoor water park, world-class restaurants and shopping along the revamped lake, with a better-than-The-Bellagio water show, luxe putting range with private lounges, and more townhomes and condo towers in future phases. I was really excited about this project until I saw the condo floorplans, which look like warmed over hotel rooms to me. Except for one of the two bedroom suites… which is laid out beautifully. Still, the overall design is stunning. And the decor, fab. We’re talking hip hotel, totally chic. And if you want Mitchell Dodd to personally design a custom, multimillion dollar penthouse for you, please, call me and I’ll hook you up.
