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A view to a Montage

4/03/09, 8:55 am, By Andrew Pridgen

The Montage moment

By Andrew Pridgen -

Reno

A man who appeared to be aspiring hipsterish his late-20s replete with Rivers Cuomo glasses, paige boy haircut and knit cap slurped a cherry tomato off a splintered skewer that was once home to mozarella and basil in the lobby of the Montage Reno.

He turned to his female companion; she: bedecked with low-cut white blouse, wrist tattoo and the mall-chic standby: low-cut jeans and heels.

The pair looked remarkably furtive sipping wine at 4 p.m.

And he, just before making an about face for the lobby door, summed up the new mega-resort condo complex perhaps more vividly and succinctly than the Montage principal, Fernando Leal, and Reno mayor, Bob Cashell, had just moments before the new downtown condo complex's ribbon-cutting Wednesday.

"This place is so good, it really shows you how bad the rest of downtown Reno is," hipster said, giving hipsterette a peck on the cheek.

"C'mon, let's go check out the cookie tray ...and then we're outta here."

In 2006, Leal, a Chicago-based developer and owner of L3 Development, said he stepped off the plane in Reno to inspect the erstwhile home of the Golden Phoenix hotel/casino (and the Flamingo Hilton before that).

The building, Leal said to laughter, "(undershot) even my lowest expectations."

"I landed at the airport, drove to the hotel ...and asked to leave," Leal said as he stood in the ultra-lounge inspired lobby of the Montage. "...I had a friend from Palo Alto coming in that night — so I was forced to stay ...and get to know Reno."

Self-effacing Leal was all parts genial host Wednesday— that's what ribbon-cutting ceremonies are for.

...But his candor did not stray far from honest appraisal; that is one of a man sitting 'neath the roof of a $143 million renovation — toasting, with trepidation, Champagne during the region and nation's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

"There are issues of this economy," he said. "But we employed hundreds and hundreds of people to get this done. And we finished the project, we turned it over to the bank with no liens.

"To say that about a project of this magnitude in these times — it's a lot."

Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada president Chuck Alvey asked for a raise of hands from the 50-plus in attendance:

"How many of you have family or friends that have been recently laid off?" he queried as every hand in the room shot up. "I don't know how many of you know how big the Lawlor Center is, but we have enough people in Reno in need of jobs to fill it three times over.

"But what have here is a great place. A starting point. A renewed building that started as an eyesore and became a gem."

Indeed, mayor Cashell said the Montage represents more than a redevelopment project — it represents the "catalyst" for a new way of thinking about Reno's downtown.

"This (project) brought interest back to Reno. It brought a ballpark," he said. "It brings with it the next (step) for (downtown redevelopment) beyond gaming.

"...To those of you who've bought here: you've made a wise investment and a damn good investment."

Larry DeVincenzi, a marketer for the Montage, said more than a dozen units have closed.

"I'm told they can only close a few at a time," he said. "Hey, with this economy — when I tell people we're selling ...well — it's a rare thing.

"But this is a rare place."

The first buyer to sign the dotted line was long-time Washoe Valley resident Tom Hall — who represents a growing number of Boomers who are buying second homes in more urban (and urbane) locales.

"We kept our (primary home)," he said. "But, we spend the weekends here and a couple nights a week. If we're going to go to dinner, see a show — go to a game or a concert — it's right here.

"We saw what this development was going to be and we were excited. When we moved in last weekend — it surpassed all expectation.

"...Yes, I'd say there's hope out there still. I know this — because we're living in it."

Click here for a virtual tour of the montage including a glimpse at 56 different floor plans; oh yeah, and if you want listings ...you're gonna have to get on down there

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