What's New - Reno - Lake Tahoe

Reno-Tahoe – Construction (what’s new) – 2008

• In Virginia City, the 1876 Henry Piper home was restored and is now a three-guest bedroom Bed and Breakfast. The B Street House will take you back to the elegance of the Old West. www.bstreethouse.com Carolyn and Chris Eichin 775-847-7231.
• The Historic Fourth Ward School is continuing preservation of the 1876 building that is the last one of its kind in the USA still standing and still interpreted as a school. Two primary level classrooms are being restored into an archive and research center. www.fourthwardschool.org
• The historic St. Mary’s Art Center, fondly called the SMAC Art and Retreat Center, offers economically year-round mountain retreats for groups of 6 to 40. The renovated and redecorated center, built in 1875, offers fifteen sleeping rooms, three studios, 5 ½ semi-private bathrooms, two kitchens, dining room, lounge and galleries full of art. www.smacenter.org Linda Nazemian, Executive Director at (775) 852-9080.
• The Stewart Indian School was the only off-reservation boarding school in Nevada for Native Americans from 1890 to 1980. Stewart Indian School Trail is a self-guided walking tour of the campus with 20 points of interest and audio stories. Using personal cell phones, visitors can access recorded messages from alumni and employees about their personal experiences at the school. www.stewartindianschool.com The Nevada Indian Commission has been approved a $150,000 grant to begin work on building #1, the future home of the Stewart Indian Cultural Center.
• Carson City Consortium started “Get Down”, a series of events for the community and visitors. Events included a weekly farmer’s market, live music, family activities, gardening demos and more. http://www.downtowncarsoncity.com
• The historic St. Charles Hotel was recently renovated to house a new franchisee, the Firkin & Fox English Pub. These efforts produced a popular venue for dining, socializing and live entertainment in an attractive building. http://www.thefirkinandfox.com/index.htm
• The Nevada State Museum is nearly finished with a glass and steel concourse, which will connect the main and north buildings. This will improve access of disabled visitors and provide shelter for guests between buildings. http://nevadaculture.org/docs/museums/cc/carson.htm
• To celebrate the holiday season, a new winter ice rink will be located on the corner of North Carson and Spear Streets in the Carson Nugget parking lot. The 56-by-85 foot rink will be open seven days a week into February. Admission includes two hours of ice time and is $7 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 3-12, and skate rentals are $2 per pair. The rink will also be available for private party rentals. http://www.visitcarsoncity.com/press/body.php?pressID=147
• The Reno Ice Rink opens Thanksgiving for the winter on the 10 North Plaza (1st Virginia St.) http://www.cityofreno.com/Index.aspx?page=1622
• Starting November 29th, the new RENO BIGHORNS, NBA Basketball team starts their first season with games scheduled at the Reno Events Center. www.nbareno.com
• West St. Market is scheduled for a Dec. 6th opening. A daily year-round market has 40 tenants so far which includes restaurants, produce, fish, bakery, cooking demo’s etc. The market is located one block off 1st St on West 2nd. http://www.cityofreno.com/Index.aspx?page=1517
• BASEBALL – The Reno Aces, our major league affiliate Baseball team will “play ball” on April 17th, 2009. The state-of-the-art ballpark is at Lake St. and 2nd.
• Culture Club – New Bars and restaurants include Se7en Tea House and Bar, the Imperial Bar, Waterfall, Amendment 21, Tonic, Chocolate Bar, the Red Martini, & 210 North are some of the new downtown establishments. Together with Great Basin Brewery, Brews Brothers, Ichiban, Santa Fe and Louie’s Basque Corner, Sterlings, Harrah’s Steak House and the buffets, there is food and drink that appeal to any appetite. Buckbean Brewery is Reno’s newest brewery. http://www.buckbeanbeer.com/ Kimmie Kandy, our local candy company, has just started kids tours. http://www.kimmiecandy.com/
• The new Scheel’s http://www.scheelssports.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ScheelsStoreView?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10101&storeLoc=RS and upcoming Legends at the Sparks Marina http://www.downtownmakeover.com/downtown_reno/LegendsAtMarina.asp is the largest sporting goods store in the US. Cabela’s http://www.cabelas.com/retail-2/retailStores_reno—reno_h.shtml is just minutes from downtown along with the Patagonia Store http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1931 and REI http://www.rei.com/stores/67
• The Silver Legacy has completed their suite renovations. The new Aura Ultra Lounge provides flair bartenders and bottle service. http://www.silverlegacyreno.com/night_life/aura_ultra_lounge/
• The Sparks Heritage Museum recently expanded its operations to include the entire Old Library and Justice Court building in Downtown Sparks. www.sparksmuseum.org
• A $6 million project restoring the Truckee River at the 102 Ranch started in September 2008. The project goal is to help bring back the river’s natural functions. It is expected to take three to four years. http://truckeeflood.us/235/102_ranch.html
• The expansion of Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is now in the home stretch, after new facilities were opened in July. The following is complete:
  20,000 sq. ft. casino expansion
  New Poker Room
  New Race & Sports Book
  New Sports Bar & Lounge
  Manhattan Deli & Restaurant
  Bistro Napa – organically inspired, fresh gourmet
  24,000 sq. ft. of brand new convention/meeting space (New meeting space has already received a Hospy for Best Ballroom & Convention Space Design, and has been voted for the 3rd year in a row to receive the Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings Magazine). http://www.atlantiscasino.com/

Reno-Tahoe – Construction (what’s new) – 2009

• The Nevada State Library has plans to redesign the library to include a performing arts complex and an outdoor shopping mall within waking distance to the Capitol. http://nevadaculture.org/docs/NSLA/
• The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is now in the home stretch since they started opening the new facilities in July. They are currently working on, in projected order of completion:
  Remodeling the Atlantis Seafood Steakhouse
  Remodeling the existing casino floor
  Remodeling all hotel lobbies and corridors
  Remodeling existing ballrooms = 23,000 sq.ft.
  Remodeling all rooms in Tower 3 (other towers were updated a few years ago)
  Constructing a brand new spa and fitness center (should be complete in mid-January) http://www.atlantiscasino.com/
  All of the above is slated for completion by the end of the year – January-ish.
• Crystal Bay plans for an upscale destination resort that would include 366 hotel rooms and fractional-ownership condominiums. Also planned is 28,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, two-acre public gathering space, four acres of public parks and open space and underground parking. According to developer Boulder Bay LLC, they are expecting to have all permits by 2009. http://www.gotahoenorth.com/neighborhoods/crystal-bay
• For winter 2008-2009, Heavenly plans to debut two new trails in Ski Ways Glades and one new trail in Powderbowl Woods on the California side. Heavenly will also re-grade Skyline Trail.
  The Stateline area has undergone a major facelift. Over a half billion dollars have been poured into mountain and village improvements – a gondola. New resort hotels, new lifts, advanced snowmaking and grooming, extensive loge renovations, a world-class ski facility and a family adventure center that lets non-skiers join the high-altitude fun. The next phase of this massive redevelopment is underway with the Chateau at Heavenly Village, which boasts a 16,000 sq. ft. spa and a 50,000 sq. ft. convention center within a five-star luxury hotel/condominium.
  Heavenly’s master plan outlines 10 years of resort improvements, including the addition of three on-mountain lodges / restaurants, seven new or upgraded lifts, two base redevelopments, new multi-use hiking / cross-country skiing trails and an amphitheatre for summer concerts. www.skiheavenly.com
• The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino Cutthroat Saloon was recently remodeled; the Regency Club (Executive floor with lounge) is currently undergoing a complete renovation to better serve our guests; New 37” High Definition flat screen televisions are scheduled to be installed throughout the hotel in the first quarter of 2009. The concept of the Ciao Mein Trattoria restaurant is changing into a Mountain Market (name still TBD) in 2009. The resort also has some new package offerings geared toward skiers and families. http://www.laketahoe.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp
• Amador Stage Lines, operator of South Tahoe Express has added the latest in GREEN buses to handle the winter ski market heading to Lake Tahoe. The buses will run 11 times per day from the Reno Tahoe Int’l Airport to the South Lake Tahoe Casino core. ** It would take more than 50 of the GREEN Prevost 50 passenger coaches to generate the same amount of emissions as one older model diesel powered bus. http://www.amadorstagelines.com/
• The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino welcomes its newest luxury lounge, 2500 East and Grand Sierra Adventures, a concierge team of excursion professionals designed to create customized expeditions to meet any vacationer’s needs. www.grandsierraresort.com
• The Sparks Heritage Museum will have a series of changing exhibits in their gallery. This year’s emphasis is on discovering Spark’s diverse cultural heritage. www.sparksmuseum.org
• St. Mary’s in the Mountains is currently undergoing a structural retrofit befitting the oldest and largest landmark in the Comstock Historic District and the “mother of all Catholic Churches” in Nevada. St. Mary’s is Scheduled to reopen in late Spring or early Summer 2009. www.stmarysvc.org/main.asp Liz or Nick at St. Mary’s Rectory (775) 847-9099.
• The 2009 season of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Virginia City will offer tours on the extended tracks into American Flats and through the new rebuilt 1869 tunnel, past the great “Chinese” stone wall overlooking Silver City and past the Haywood’s siding to overlook the lights of Carson City. www.virginiatruckee.com

Reno-Tahoe – Special Events – 2009

• George Jones plays at the Silver Legacy on January 16th at 8:00 pm
  Martin Short will take the stage on January 31st at 8:00 pm www.silverlegacy.com
• Wild Sierra Adventures will be celebrating its “10 Year Anniversary” this upcoming season. For updated activities and adventures for 2009 www.wildsierra.com
• Special events for 2009 at Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Virginia City will include celebrating Virginia City’s 150th sesquicentennial celebration throughout June, full moon wine trains, company party trains, beer and dog trains, Father’s Day train, Civil War days on Labor Day weekend, Halloween train and Christmas train o’ lights. www.virginiatruckee.com
• For the list if events in Virginia City in 2009 visit www.visitvirginiacity.com
• The Nevada Tribal Tourism Conference will be held April 6-7, 2009 at the Stewart Indian School in Carson City. www.nevadaindianterritory.com

Posted by Ryan Jerz on 12/30/2008