City Council Looks at Updating Standards as Latest Attempt to Improve Downtown Re

A sign on Virginia Street in the middle of downtown Reno points to a June store closure.

Efforts to reenergize downtown Reno through different means, from beautification enticements to code enforcement, artwashing and ambassadors with a business improvement district, now include a plan to update general standards dating back over 10 years.

A City of Reno email notice from this week indicated that in the last fiscal year, the City’s code enforcement responded to 3,200 cases with “an additional 500 being proactive enforcement efforts.”

As she had said in the past, current Mayor Hillary Schieve, whose 12-year run will end next year, mentioned persistent “bad actors” at this week’s City Council meeting.   

A mayoral candidate who wants to replace her, Kathleen Taylor, now the council representative for Ward 1 encompassing downtown Reno, called for more citations, even on a daily basis.

“If you don’t want to be part of the team, if you don’t want to take pride in your downtown, see you later,” she said as part of her own comments.  

“Although staffing constraints remain a challenge, the City has one dedicated officer assigned specifically to the downtown corridor to help improve conditions. The update to the 2024 code aims to maintain cleaner and safer buildings throughout the City,” the City’s email indicated for the section titled “Potential Update to the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code.”

It said the city was currently using the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code with a downtown Reno specific code adopted in 2014.  This already includes lighting requirements for vacant lots, as well as a section on vacant buildings.

“This update will allow the City to follow the most current guidelines for building safety, sanitation, plumbing, electrical systems, and fire protection. The code provides guidance for both code enforcement officers and property owners on properly maintaining their properties,” the email noted.  

901.9 in the current Downtown Property Maintenance Standards indicates “all vacant structures within downtown that are secured or boarded up for more than 12 consecutive months shall have all boarded up windows painted to look like fake windows providing the appearance of windows without the glazing. Structures shall not have the appearance of abandoned properties within the downtown area. Structures shall maintain the appearance of an occupied building.”

The closure of the central former Harrah’s casino hotel in 2020, with an excruciatingly slow on again, off,  then back on redevelopment project with a different group has left a gaping hole in downtown Reno.  Many others still complain of the difficulty to park conveniently to access downtown, and not having many options beyond casinos, pawn shops and tourist trinket stores, while several property owners have held on to empty buildings for years.

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