FORMER SAGE MOTEL PARCEL Reno Redevelopment Agency, NV Cleanup Grant Built on a Former Brownfield, Reno's New Events Center is a Major Venue for Downtown Entertainment ADDRESS: A 0.16-acre parcel on the Southeastern corner of a city block between East 4th-5th Streets & Center and North Lake Streets, Reno, Nevada PROPERTY SIZE: 0.16 acres FORMER USES: Gas stations, motel storage, motorcycle and auto maintenance facilities CURRENT USE: Multipurpose Events Center (the entire city block) EPA GRANT RECIPIENT: The Reno Redevelopment Agency received a $200,000 Brownfields Hazardous Substances Cleanup Grant. PROJECT PARTNERS: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NV DEP), Nevada Brownfields Program For additional data and geographic information for this and other Brownfields Grants, please visit EPAs: Envirofacts - www.epa.gov/enviro/html/bms/bmsquery.html Enviromapper - vyww.epa.gov/enviro/bf PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Reno Redevelopment Agency had designated an entire city block, in the heart of downtown and within walking distance to the city's biggest casinos, as the most desirable location for construction of a large, new Events Center—a project deemed critical to the ongoing revitalization of Reno. Neighborhoods surrounding this underused city block had poverty rates of 20 percent, with income levels nearly 40 percent lower than the citywide average. Standing in the way of redevelopment, however, were certain parcels of this city block that were known to have been host to gas stations and auto repair facilities; one gas station on the property had operated for more than 70 years. The Reno Redevelopment Agency applied for and received approximately $ 150,000 in assessment funding from the Nevada Brownfields Program, to determine where the most severe areas of contamination were located. Following assessments, a $200,000 Hazardous Substances Cleanup Grant from EPA—used to remediate a 0.16-acre, contaminated parcel on the property's Southeast corner (most recently used for motel storage)—was instrumental in allowing the overall project to proceed. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Performed soil sampling that revealed scattered areas of Petroleum Hydrocarbon contamination on suspected parcels. • Installed ground water monitoring wells. • Cleanup and redevelopment activities leveraged 25 temporary jobs. • Grand opening for the new Events Centertook place onjanuary 1, 2005. The completed Reno Events Center. OUTCOME: Following cleanup, this underused city block, with its long-contaminated parcels, has become one of Reno's premiere entertainment venues, and the economic status of the surrounding area has improved. The new Events Center has been home to concerts, sporting events, comedy shows, conferences, conventions, and trade shows. With its prime, downtown location, this I 18,000 square-foot, $28.5 million facility features a40'x 60' stage and 56,000 square feet of floor space, making it one of Reno's most sought after locations for major events. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ or call EPA Region 9 at (415) 972-3092 ------- |