University of Nevada, Reno officials on Tuesday will celebrate the renaming of a nine-block stretch of Center Street to University Way. The new University Way stretches from the Truckee River bridge near First Street north to UNR’s entrance at Ninth Street.
The celebration, planned for 3:30 p.m., will also see the dedication of a new monument at Ninth and North Virginia streets.
Reno City Council in November approved the renaming of a section of Center Street after the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents made the request in June 2021.
University officials said the name change will help better connect the campus community with downtown Reno, support revitalization efforts and build momentum for the school’s 150th anniversary in 2024.
Local historians haven’t been as thrilled about the name change. In addition to eliminating the portion of Center Street that was named in 1868 after the Central Pacific Railroad and carried that name for 117 years, local preservation experts say they weren’t properly consulted before the renaming.
