The owner of The Eddy has withdrawn his proposal to lease the City Plaza from the City of Reno.
Reno Municipal Code (RMC) section 8.23.012 currently designates City Plaza as a “public plaza” under the jurisdiction of the City’s Parks and Recreation department. RMC section 5.13.040 designates City Plaza as the City’s default location for First Amendment expressive activities.
The City says both code designations present legal obstacles to leasing and/or selling the property for commercial activity. City Manager Jackie Bryant says when she explained this to owner Kurt Stitser, he withdrew his application early Wednesday afternoon.
Bryant adds that the parcel adjacent to the City Plaza is not affected by municipal codes and because of that, he can modify and resubmit the letter of intent to include that parcel where it will go to the Reno Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board to review and make a recommendation to the Reno Redevelopment Agency.
"Mr. Stitser followed the current LOI (Letter of Intent) process when submitting the LOI. Due to several Council member requests to change the current LOI process, staff is working on an updated policy to include Council’s feedback," Bryant says.
Stitser initially submitted his proposal because he believed that revenue would drop when the reconstruction of the Sierra Street Bridge starts next year, so, he's proposing leasing City Plaza and relocating The Eddy to that site.
He said that his lease at the current location is up next year and he doesn't think it would be worth it to renew it at the same spot.
The owners released this letter:
Over the past several weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to reflect on a vision for downtown Reno, public space, and what’s possible for the Riverwalk District.
Our interest in activating Believe Plaza was rooted in a broader commitment to supporting a vibrant, welcoming downtown. We engaged in exploratory discussions in good faith, with the shared goal of strengthening the district and contributing to its long-term vitality. Public-private partnerships are a common tool used to enhance public spaces by combining public oversight with private investment and operational support.
As the concept evolved, important procedural and legal considerations surfaced that need to be addressed before a proposal like this could move forward. In light of those factors, we have decided to step back and not pursue this concept in its current form.
At every step, our intent has been to contribute positively to downtown Reno and to be part of solutions that support local businesses, residents, and visitors. We have been especially encouraged by the strong community feedback and the many messages of support received throughout this process.
For the past ten years, The Eddy has been deeply committed to downtown Reno. We’ve employed local residents, supported artists, partnered with nonprofits, and helped small food and beverage businesses grow through our food truck program. That commitment is unchanged.
The challenges facing downtown Reno remain, and we will continue to be part of the effort to meet them. We believe in the future of this district and the role thoughtful, community-focused spaces can play in it.
Thank you, Reno. We’re not going anywhere.
Kurt Stitser & Phil Buckheart
Co-Owners,
The Eddy | Reno, Nevada
JUNE 5 UPDATE:
The owners of The Eddy have released a statement and are asking for public feedback after submitting a letter of intent to lease City Plaza from the City of Reno.
"This week, we saw how deeply our community cares about downtown and our shared spaces. We recognize we did not engage the community early or directly enough," said owners Kurt Stitser and Phil Buckheart in their statement.
They said that since submitting the letter, they have heard from hundreds of residents about their proposal, and wanted to respond directly.
"Our vision is for a privately owned public space. This model is used in cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco to invest in public spaces that cities struggle to program and maintain on their own. The plaza would remain publicly accessible. The Believe sculpture and Space Whale stay. Community events, access to the Truckee River, and continuity of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bike Path are explicitly protected in our vision. This is not a takeover. It is an offer to invest," they said.
They went on to say that a large proposal such as theirs belongs to the community, and that they want to hear from the public before any decisions are made.
They have created an online form for the public to provide feedback on their proposal. That form can be found at this link.
You can read their full statement below.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
The owner of The Eddy is proposing leasing City Plaza from Reno to keep his business from having to close.
The owner believes revenue will drop when the reconstruction of the Sierra Street Bridge starts next year, so, he's proposing leasing City Plaza and relocating The Eddy to that site.
"The business impacts from these bridges are not projected - it's not a what-if scenario, these are real impacts,” says Kurt Stitser.
The owner says his lease at the current location is up next year and it doesn't think it would be worth it to renew it at the same spot.
However, at Monday’s meeting of the City's Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board some people opposed turning the public space private.
"I really don't buy the argument that this Sierra street construction is going to affect the Eddy specifically so negatively that out of sympathy for their plight we must lease this land,” says Stephen Zipkin, who opposes the lease.
On Monday, the board voted 4-3 to forward The Eddy's proposal to the Reno City Council to discuss taking action on it at a later date.
