PRESS RELEASE
University issues Request for Proposals for transfer of ownership and relocation
RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno will issue a Request for Proposals to the public for transfer of ownership and relocation of 12 houses located in the Gateway District to meet the demands of the University’s growth and expansion, while also creating a stronger connection to downtown Reno. Proposals are due Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 2 p.m.
Defined as the area south of the University on the border of East Ninth Street to Interstate 80, the Gateway District is a component of the University’s 10-year Master Plan which envisions an even more dynamic campus to serve the University’s growing enrollment, anticipated to reach 25,000 students. The University currently owns more than a dozen properties in the District on Center Street, East Eighth Street, East Ninth Street and Lake Street.
“The University continues to work with the City of Reno to better connect the University to downtown,” Marc Johnson, president of the University of Nevada, Reno, said. “The process started with our master plan, approved by the Board of Regents in December 2014 and has continued over the last three years.”
Preservation interests have expressed a desire for the historic homes to remain in their current location. The University recognizes and shares the desire to preserve the houses, but cannot justify the expenditure of funds required to convert the houses due to the need to construct larger scale buildings in the Gateway to meet the growing demands for enrollment and research over the next two decades.
The University has been working on a proposal over the last year with several partners in the community, Washoe County and the State of Nevada, to possibly relocate, operate and maintain some of the houses for a broader community benefit. Unfortunately, the cost to renovate and relocate the houses surpassed the resources publically available for the proposed project.
“As a land-locked campus, the University has recognized and shared its need to develop more land-use density with academic buildings over the next two decades, and we look forward to working with interested parties in the relocation of these houses to more appropriate long term residential locations,” President Johnson, said. “We’ve received a lot of interest from the public and are now offering individuals an opportunity to own and relocate these houses.”
Homes offered for relocation consideration are all within the City of Reno. The RFP stipulates the procedures and requirements to be used by the University in its selection process. Preference will be given to those able to relocate multiple houses together on the same property or neighboring properties to create a potential “historical” presence and to those willing to keep the houses in Washoe County.
