While Midtown Reno road construction brings orange cones and detours, it also brings a new future for the area.
“There's a lot of optimism about what's going to happen when the construction is completed and how accessible and beautiful Midtown's going to be,” said Chris Schiavone, director of operations at The Saint James Group. “I'm all about progress. When there's change, I'm excited about it. I always feel that there's an opportunity at every challenge. So, I think this is going to be great."
Phase two of Midtown Reno road construction started in June 2019, and the work will continue through winter 2020. The construction will happen in stages to make visiting Midtown as easy as possible, said Lauren Ball, the public information officer for RTC Washoe County.
“There was a lot of planning that went into place to make this as easy and as least impactful,” Ball said.
Midtown Reno Road Construction Phases
Over the next 17 months, Midtown Reno road construction will go through these stages:
Summer Through Fall 2019
- Construction: Work on select side streets in Midtown. Work on Virginia Street from Plumb Lane through Mt. Rose Street.
- Traffic control: Select side streets closed to through traffic when under construction. Two-way traffic on Virginia Street from Liberty to Mt. Rose Street/Holcomb. One-way traffic on Virginia Street southbound to Wells lo Mt. Rose/Holcomb
Winter 2019 through Spring 2020
- Construction: Work on Virginia Street sidewalks and paving from Mt. Rose Street.
- Traffic control: One-way traffic where construction is occurring. Northbound detour Holcomb Avenue and Center Street.
Spring Through Winter 2020
- Construction: Work on Virginia Street sidewalks and paving. Continuing northward to Liberty Street and installation of a roundabout at Center Street.
- Traffic control: One-way traffic where construction is occurring. Northbound detour Holcomb Avenue and Center Street.
While that construction is happening, RTC Washoe and midtown businesses suggest a few tactics to make the best of Midtown Reno road construction.
Stay Up To Date
You can find news and information about Midtown Reno road construction on virginiastreetproject.com. RTC Washoe regularly posts information on the site about road closures and other updates.
Besides to an online presence, there is a project information office on Virginia Street, north of The Z Bar, located at 1074 S. Virginia St.
"It's a great place to come check out maps of the projects," Ball said. "If you have questions, we're there to answer your question. If you want to learn more about the project, we're there to talk about what's going on."
Plan Ahead
Photo Courtesy RTC Washoe
To make visiting Midtown during construction easier, check out virginiastreetproject.com, to plan a route, Ball suggested.
“It's not really that hard to get to Midtown even though there is construction going on,” she said. “It might take you a couple of extra minutes to plan your trip to Midtown. But, we're doing a ton of outreach to get the word out about how easy it is to get down there and the different ways you can take to get there.”
Driving isn’t the only way to get to Midtown, Ball added.
“You can ride your bike, you can walk, and you can use public transit or Lyft,” she said.
During Midtown Reno road construction, Lyft is offering 50% off ride going into Midtown, and up to $10. Riders can use the code RAPID multiple times to access the deal.
Think About The Bigger Picture
Once Midtown Reno road construction is finally complete, this more than $80-million investment project will support economic development, enhance safety, and improve livability in the area.
"There definitely is an impact during construction, but this finished product is going to be so nice when it's complete," Ball said. "We'll have really wide sidewalks. We're adding about 240 trees to the corridor. It will be easier for your friends with strollers or those in wheelchairs. It's really going to be more vibrant, a lot more walkable and a lot safer for everybody visiting Midtown, which is a growing area of our community.
Kevin Stanley, the owner, Rue Bourbon which opened during the Midtown Reno road construction also said the results of the project will be worth it.
“We're just all looking forward to it being completed and what it's going to do for Midtown,” Stanley said. “It's going to be much safer. It's going to be more welcoming, and I think it's really going to drive additional development as well.”
