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Not your ordinary 'tour' of downtown Reno
BLC
Downtown Truckee and Northstar will once again get theirs during this year's Tour de Nez.
...Make no mistake, all eyes will be on the BLC for the 17th running of the three-day pro cycling event.
Chicago native Fernando Leal, owner/developer of one million square feet of brand-spanking-new downtown Reno, was instrumental getting the event back to its roots in the heart of the BLC — a place he said upon first blush "undershot even (his) lowest expectations"
(Click here to read more about Leal and his Montage development — opened April 3)
When the pro cycling event kicks off with a "welcome back party" at Reno's trendy downtown watering hole Amendment 21 5 p.m. Wednesday, Leal said he'll be there.
...When the event returns Friday for the downtown Reno Circuit Race, Leal said he'll be there.
And when the race ends, Leal said he'll be there to "take a moment ...and look forward to whatever's next."
An excerpt from Leal's sit-down with tahoeticker.com on the eve of the race:
Tahoeticker: You're a developer — so, how'd you get involved in getting a cycling race back to its downtown Reno roots?
Fernando Leal: My involvement with the race directly relates to my involvement redeveloping downtown Reno. ...I'm also just a huge fan of the race. It brings a nice demographic to downtown.
TT: Some folks, especially cycling fans who're coming from the City, SoCal, Sac ...even the Basin, may not have been to downtown Reno in a bit; what's in store?!
FL: Well, I mean what they're going to see with the Montage, a building a block-and-a-half long. Instead of tearing down a casino and putting it in landfill — we converted it into 380 residences. Within two to three blocks, 15 new eateries and bars have come up in last 36 months. It's an area, despite the economic downturn, making significant changes.
TT: Sounds good. But how involved were you getting the Reno stage of the race back to downtown?
FL: Well, yeah — I want to be careful not to take too much credit. Last year, starting in the Grand Sierra Resort parking lot — they did a great job, I just thought it was ...it deserved more. Running the Crit in downtown Reno was a challenge. We brought in the mayor and councilmen. Whatever we need to do, we get it done. It's just a matter of people need to be reintroduced to downtown.
TT: Why reintroduced?!
FL: Well, I think the biggest issue Reno has is the name association. I think that leads to a lot of very deeply rooted misperceptions of the area. But, I point to facts. It's hard to dispute the amount of redevelopment that's taken place over one square mile. Part of my job is always bringing people to Reno — more often than not they leave with a very different perception than what they came with.
TT: Some criticize Reno for its frenetic feel/approach. Pro cyclists in town one weekend for a race ...then nothing. ...Then, a bunch of antique car enthusiasts or cowboys....
FL: I don't think you can discount all the events Reno has and has had historically: Hot August Nights, Reno Air Races, Reno Rodeo, Art Town. ...I think what you have is a really solid base.
TT: Yeah, but that's a lot of old-line stuff.
FL: What i've been doing is really telling casino owners- up-and-coming industries; green technologies ...and opportunities to showcase Reno there. There's a lot of really cool events that are really looking for homes. As long as Reno is viewed as very cool, sort of quirky — there's a lot of what we can do. Altcar, the largest alt transoportation show in the country is considering Reno as it's third stop. Right now they (meet) in Santa Monica and Austin. You have to keep the old, the tradition and go after the new. A lot of shows and events are looking for early adopters.
TT: Lots of folks still have trouble with the branding of Reno. What's your take? And how will new events help change the overall effort?
FL: I would reiterate, number one Reno has to aggressively pursue a different demographic. 'America's Adventure Place' — that slogan preceded me and the current head of (convention and visitor's authority). It's too-generic-a-term — misleading.
FL cont'd: I don't think when people get off the plane they feel they're in America's Adventure Land. I've learned you have to call things what they are and you can't oversell. Reno is a quirky vibe, a very distinct vibe. There isn't any other place in the US where one second you can see a pro cyclist next to you on a $10k bike the next thing you see the guy who came out of a ZZ Top reunion. You have to embrace that. When I bring retailers, visitors, I point out everything. You can't go in and turn this into a Disneyland. You're always gonna have the motels, all that stuff that makes Reno, Reno. ...And you have to embrace it.
TT: Fair enough. Now, back to the Tour de Nez...
FL: We gotta get out and support it. People like to sit back and be armchair quarterback and complain. But if you want something good, you gotta get off your butts and support it. I'll be out there.
First Friday at Brickelltown is back... just in time for fall
9/02/10, 8:18 am, By Alanna Hughes
- 4 p.m. Friday in Brickelltown
- Bring your cruiser bike (cheaper/better peeps than Burning Man)
Ski Porn season kicks off at Squaw Sept. 18 with Standard premiere
8/31/10, 9:22 pm, By S. Cowley
- North Shore-based snowboard heavies preimere 'The Storming' Saturday, Sept. 18
- Monster'll be there too...
Sorry Burning Man - it's all about the Ski Loft Tent Sale
8/30/10, 7:52 pm, Staff Report
- 8 a.m. Friday
- Bring all your pennies... (what's left of 'em)
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aBasin Bargain Basement - The bargain of bargains
8/29/10, 8:59 pm, By A. Pridgen
- $105k for starter condo in KB
- Yes, we toured a similar unit in '06 for more than $300k ...actually, maybe it WAS this unit
Bomber pre-season ski sales from local manufacturers
8/25/10, 7:50 am, Staff Report
- From Praxis Powderboards to Moment Rubys ...to a surprise entry
- It's time to buy local... buy new
Skiing is no more
8/22/10, 11:47 am, Staff Report
- RIP Skiing Magazine
- ...Are you next, SKI?
Date set for 7th annual Downtown Truckee Wine Walk And Shop
8/22/10, 9:25 am, Switchback PR
- Filling up that fall calendar yet?!
- Well, here's where to start
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aSquaw to host SATELite Festival in September
8/22/10, 7:28 am, By A. Richmond
- New outdoor(ish) event pronounced 'satellite' ...not 'Sate-lite' like we orig. thought
- ...Not 100 percent sure what it is — but ncludes wine, so we'll be there
Tahoe Mountain Sports gets you warm for Ski Loft tent sale
8/20/10, 6:44 pm, By Lis Korb
- First come tent sales... then ski porn premiers
- Then (gulp) snow... are you ready?!
Legendary Incline bear featured in WSJ
8/18/10, 8:31 pm, Staff Report
- Free BUBBA
- That's right - It's our fault... not the bear's... but is that what the Journal thinks?!
Trail Building Backcountry Camps
8/17/10, 8:49 pm, TRTA
- Get on those trails
- ...and get your build on Saturday and Sunday (and again Labor Day weekend)
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aWin an iPad from IVGID
8/15/10, 7:03 pm, Staff Report
- Golf, ski, beach, compute
- repeat
Squaw creates new top marketing position... sale rumors spark again
8/10/10, 8:18 pm, Staff Report
- Wait, Squaw CREATED a position...
- Ok, something's definitely going down... (25-year industry vet Scott Clarkson tapped as VP of Marketing and Sales)
Jim's trip ...halfway... round The Rim
8/07/10, 1:16 pm, By. A. Pridgen
- Hammerel raises triple his goal amt. to benefit the TRT
- ...and tears up his knee
Volunteer trail-building workdays with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association
8/05/10, 7:45 am, TRTA
- You heard about Jim Hammerel's mission to speed-traverse the TRT
- Now you can pitch in too
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aGoodbye Norm
8/03/10, 8:08 pm, By A. Pridgen
- The Godfather of Incline, Norm Rosenberg, passes - he was 92
- Incline's left-leaning champion leaves legacy ...starting with the library
Test drive a Tesla... before it's too late
8/01/10, 9:30 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Tesla, the Palo Alto-based electric car company has gone through more than $300 million VC $
- ...but still hasn't tapped into Uncle Sam's reserves for the Model S - go check it out at the Hyatt
Sugar Bowl dining room and Belt Room Bar open for business
7/30/10, 10:22 am, By John Monson
- Good grub, great views
- And nothing beats Belt Room post PCT
Ultimate Frisbee - ultimate course
7/27/10, 8:56 pm, By A. Richmond
- Squaw opens disc golf course
- Signature hole (no. 4) has 1080' downhill... wow
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aSquaw's MTB park open for first time since '03
7/23/10, 7:22 pm, By Amelia Richmond
- 2k feet of single-track
- 'K, we're in
Remembering Kenny Guinn
7/22/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- The man who created the Milennium Scholarship and SNPLMA passed away Thursday
- Guinn, who oversaw Nevada during its most prosperous years, was 73
Lokal boy makes good - former PlumpJack star Edge shines in Sonoma
7/20/10, 6:23 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Rick Edge takes saucy edge down to downtown Sonoma
- Lokal is the (new) place to be and PlumpJack alum makes it so
Tahoe skier visits were estimated to be up 17 percent last winter
7/19/10, 8:40 am, Staff Report
- Numbers of skiers on the hill increased - but overall spending stayed modest
- Cheap passes the plan again for 2010-'11
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aCushing steps down from Squaw post ...rumors of sale sparked
7/13/10, 6:06 pm, Staff Report
- Former Intrawest exec takes over
- ...Rumor mill turning overtime: is Cushing family getting ready to bounce?
TRPA's Asian clam bake
7/11/10, 9:19 pm, By Jeff Cowen
- $1.4 million effort to eradicate invasive species from the lake...
- And it involves (no joke) laying a rubber mat on the lake's floor... hi-tech
Kids' zip line at Squaw ...Boo ya
7/08/10, 5:12 pm, By A. Richmond
- KT zip line
- What about for the grown-ups?!
Just like that ...red flags are up
7/06/10, 6:22 pm, Staff Report
- Three-year anniversary of Angora looms ever-present
- Thunderstorms Wednesday/Thursday portend danger
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aNevada County approves PR firm's contract the same week it OKs budget cuts
6/30/10, 9:19 pm, Staff Report
- Wait a minute - you're saying Tahoe will spend more than a million dollars this year on, sloganeering...
- Meantime, budget cuts include child care, welfare-to-work and MediCal programs ...nice
Truckee's Lautner drops a PCT hiking book
6/28/10, 8:55 pm, Staff Report
- 32 eco-friendly trips on the Sierra stretch of the PCT ...with GPS coordinates
- Two thumbs up - pick it up...
Lake Tahoe Based Russian-American Partnership turns 20
6/24/10, 11:27 am, By TBI
- Tahoe-Baikal Institute celebrates two decades of watershed protection and cultural exchange
- Political and economic ups and downs notwithstanding
Tour de Nez photo gallery
6/22/10, 8:20 pm
- The weekend that was from Reno to Northstar
- And lots of Nash
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aRebuild the Rim Trail every summer Saturday
6/11/10, 9:07 pm, TRTA
- Start summer right by giving your most precious gift
- ...Your time
TRPA tries to clarify
6/01/10, 8:30 pm, By Dennis Oliver
- So, what, if anything, does this have to do with Boulder Bay?!
- ...More importantly how 'bout that casino (strip club?) corridor...
Opinion ...TRPA ensures Tahoe times they area a-changin'
5/22/10, 8:35 pm, By Ann Nichols
- Density to increase under proposed TRPA regional plan
- But, will they build it (or will they come?)
TAUs on the table from TRPA
5/14/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- If you don't understand the headline
- ...Go the the May 26 meeting and you'll see puh-lenty
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aCal Neva now in TRPA doghouse
5/09/10, 6:49 pm, Staff Report
- TRPA will handle foreclosed property with kid gloves over more than a decade of flunking its eco report card
- Time to blow everything up but the casino floor, Sinatra Showroom, the lakefront cabins and the Indian Room
Celebrate National Trails Day with the Tahoe Rim Trail
5/06/10, 5:33 pm, TRTA
- Build a trail
- ...Get a free lunch
Save Martis Valley - one click at a time
5/04/10, 7:13 pm, By Renee Deinken
- Well, it's not like Martis Valley is in any danger of getting developed by broke-ass East/West
- ...But still good to preserve; Check out the new site
LTVA spends almost a mil. on slogan ending in preposition
5/02/10, 8:21 pm, By A. Pridgen
- That's right, your new slogan to lure Affliction-wearing d-bags to Stateline's new strip club
- ...'Get your vacation on' (ohh noo). Inside: Our five (free) slogan suggestions ...Holla
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aCost of doing nothing too high for Tahoe
4/29/10, 8:22 pm, By Joanne Marchetta
- If you can make it through TRPA director's tome...
- We'll have resident feedback for you Friday
No downhill slide for Diamond Peak
4/09/10, 7:00 am, Staff Report
- While others founder
- ...DP in the black and breaking ground on new $4 million admin/ticket/locker/child ski center building
Foreclosed Cal Neva casino goes dark ...for good
3/24/10, 10:32 pm, By A. Pridgen
- One year after 'no-sale' at a foreclosure auction and interim management team shuts down Nevada's most legendary casino
- ...Sad, sad day... Casino doors to shut March 31 - rest of Basin gaming on life support
And yes ...the KB roundabouts were originally scheduled to be complete this summer
1/27/10, 9:35 pm, Staff Report
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board votes unanimously (again) to approve three-lane/roundabouts in KB
- ...Yes, you've heard that (here) before
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