Evans Park across from the University of Nevada, Reno is being proposed to house UNR’s historic homes, currently being given away by the university.
A new website, EvansPark.org, is proposing to move those homes to the park to become an “historic park.”
According to the site:
Evans Historic Park is a concept that transforms the currently underutilized Evans Park into a dynamic community-oriented space. By relocating eleven of the historical Gateway homes around the perimeter of the park, our plan creates a $2 million endowment and perpetual care fund for City parks and to establish the city staff position of historic preservation planner. Evans Historic Park is a project that benefits the community by creating a beautiful setting where small businesses can offer services and amenities within walking distance to the UNR campus and downtown.
A historic preservation professional will oversee many aspects of the project to ensure that the integrity of these eleven structures, built between 1895-1920, are retained and that owners receive education and support in renovating and maintaining them. The homes will be listed on the City’s Historic Register, and a property owners’ association will be created to establish standards for operation and maintenance. A system of interpretive signage will provide an educational element to the park, celebrating Reno’s history and the contributions of the Evans family to this site. In the year of Reno’s Sesquicentennial, we cannot think of a more meaningful project.
A number of hurdles would have to be passed for the project to come to fruition, but it remains the only public proposal to save the homes near their current location.
This project is estimated to cost $1.8 million. Investors are needed, and the group organizing the effort, calling themselves the Reno Heritage Foundation, anticipates that the park would generate revenue over time, rather than costing the city.
“(An) endowment creates a perpetual fund that will bring revenue to city parks in perpetuity…,” according to the project proposal.
