Downtown Reno continues to evolve and remains a work in progress. That is why the Reno City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Management Organization. The DMO will create a new team of ambassadors who will help police officers to stabilize downtown Reno, focusing on issues like vagrancy, panhandling and homelessness.
"We feel that clean and safe streets are fundamental to attracting any investment to downtown," Brad Segal, President of Progressive Urban Management Associates said.
Segal and PUMA has had a role in implementing a similar program in other U.S. cities including Boise, Spokane, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento. City leaders visited Sacramento to see how it has worked there, after two decades.
"This creation of a Downtown Management Organization, as well as some of the near-term strategies under this plan will give us that next booster engine, if you will, to get us to the next phase of downtown," David Bobzien, Reno City Councilman said.
The plan is to create more prosperity downtown, making it more livable and improving its connectivity for pedestrians, while creating a safer, cleaner, and more vibrant area.
"We see a real opportunity for downtown as a hot bed for innovation and entrepreneurship, and a lot of that is because of the proximity to the university," Segal said.
The University of Nevada remains a central figure in improving downtown, with the goal of expanding south of Interstate 80. Improvements could be made from Keystone Ave. to Wells Ave., and from the university to the Truckee River.
"The river is a great achievement of Reno," Segal said. "Reno should be proud of the riverfront development here. We're looking at the river to be more of a catalyst for new development, particularly housing."
Cleaning up blighted areas is another objective. Segal says that could mean offering financial incentives or using code enforcement. Short-term goals could begin in the coming months. They could include a possible dog park on the train trench, biking improvements, and better signage.
"You're gonna start to see some of the stuff start to take place, even this summer, for the downtown events season that we're gonna be kicking off here pretty soon," Bobzien said. "So the timing for the receipt of this report couldn't be better."
Quick fixes, short-term plans and mid-term plans will continue, while keeping long-term goals in place. The plan brought consultants and stakeholders together, including property owners, businessmen, and residents. Bobzien says it is an exciting time for Reno.
"This gives us quite the menu of what we can do to activate and revitalize downtown, which is something that everybody in this town wants to see happen," Bobzien said.
Along with the creation of the DMO, PUMA also recommends splitting downtown into four districts, including the University, Innovation/Industrial, Riverwalk, and Entertainment.
