The Reno City Council voted to let staff continue working on a proposed development agreement with Jacobs Entertainment to redevelop downtown’s West Fourth Street corridor, which includes millions of dollars in potential subsidies for the project.
The motion for the Reno Neon Line district passed on Wednesday amid several questions as well as confusion among some council members about what the proposed development agreement entails. Councilwoman Jenny Brekhus was the lone “no” vote.
The city council vote is not an approval of the development agreement but simply keeps the process moving as staff and council members continue looking into about a dozen requests from Jacobs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are issuing a “pause” on distribution of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. They’re investigating the potential link between extremely rare reports of blood clots after taking the vaccine.
Nearly seven million people have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the U.S. The investigation is out of precaution, given that blood clots were not a side effect during clinical trials.
Rupali Limaye is a director of behavior and implementation science at Johns Hopkins. She said the investigation could heighten hesitancy among those who already were reluctant to take the vaccine, or there s another way to look at it.
The owner of the Sands Regency hotel-casino is requesting a dozen incentives from the city of Reno as part of the downtown Neon Line project, including millions of dollars in discounts to purchase city-owned property and a large chunk of future tax revenue as part of a proposed new tax district.
The Reno Neon Line is an ambitious redevelopment project that aims to turn the West Fourth Street corridor into a tourist destination while adding new housing. Plans for the district that were included in the proposal to the city by Jacobs Entertainment include between 2,000 to 3,000 residential units; entertainment venues such as a 6,000-seat, open-air amphitheater; commercial retail; a plaza and green space; and several art installations that include Burning Man sculptures.