UPDATE:Â There is an update on a housing project that's been nearly two years in the making. You may have seen it on the corner of Virginia Street and East 6th Street. That location is across from the Circus Circus parking garage.
At this time the footing and foundation are going into the Canyon Flats student apartments that were announced back in September of 2017. The complex is expected to house more than 500 students. Spire Construction, who is building the 5 story complex. says there will be parking and offices on the bottom level. The 4 floors above that will house students. There have however been some changes to the building plan.Â
A representative from Spire says there will be a pet grooming parlor and pet station in the building. There will also be an art gallery, fitness center, and even a fitness on demand studio. A formal coffee shop is not in the plans. But with Tahoe so close, there will be a ski storage area.  The original plan for a rooftop pool on the second floor patio has also been scrapped in favor of 3 hot tubs. There will be 3 courtyards on the second floor, one of which will be enclosed.Â
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Spire Construction says the electrical and sewer work for the building is already done. The building is estimated to be finished by July of 2020.
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Original Story: A new, student-housing project is headed to downtown Reno. According to The University Housing Group in Roanoke, Virginia, Canyon Flats Student Apartments will be built across from the Circus Circus parking lot, where a Dairy Queen used to stand. The complex will be an L-shape, running along 6th Street and up Center Street.Â
"This will finally be the link that draws students downtown," says Ken Krater, President of Krater Consulting Group. "I feel that this is just one great thing to move downtown forward."
Krater represents The University Housing Group, which says the development will be a "linchpin" to connect downtown Reno and the University.
The project is set to start development in early 2018, beginning with the demolition of several old, boarded-up buildings. The sale of the land could be official by January, but a handful of people would have to find new places to live. Krater says the project will be a major upgrade, cleaning up blight on that block.
"They've outlived their useful life, and I've been in two of those buildings, and they're horrible inside," says Krater. "One of them had fire damage. They're not habitable as far as structure."
The complex would have 158 units and could house up to 508 students, offering a 24-hour fitness center, a coffee bar and a rooftop pool, along with study rooms on each floor. Â The units will also be pet-friendly.
"It's very important that this is not just great housing for them to live in but also to further their academic career up at the university," says Krater
A 2-bedroom unit will run for $700 dollars, including utilities. And a 4-bedroom unit will be $800-$850 a month, also including utilities. Â
The northwest part of the block is where the Showboat Inn and Travelodge stand. They will not be a part of the project and will stay as they are. Krater says the motels are a slight concern but expects the area to improve if the complex is built.
"They have a lot of calls for service but we believe that by bringing this number of students and that population density downtown will be positive," says Krater
The entrance of the apartments will be on the northeast side of the property, on the corner of 7th Street and Center. Krater says university and city leaders approve of the project, but it is not a done deal yet. If the sale and permits go as planned, he says it could be a catalyst for future development in downtown Reno, creating economic growth.
"The population density is extremely low, so bringing this many people in close proximity to UNR and downtown, in my mind is going to be terrific," says Krater.
On September 27, there will be a meeting to decide whether the developer can build the complex over the alley. That will require crews to relocate power lines, drainage pipes and sewer lines.
