Additional reporting by Kristen Hackbarth

The City of Reno’s Assistant Director of Development Services, Angela Fuss, on Wednesday updated City Council members on the Glow Plaza, an outdoor entertainment venue on Fourth Street adjacent to J Resort. The plaza was created after council approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) in May 2022. Fuss said that, as part of the CUP, Jacobs Entertainment, which owns the plaza, is required to present an annual report on its operations and safety protocols. 

The permit was amended in 2023 to allow the venue to extend operations to include the adjacent J Resort. 

The major focus on the CUP was noise generated by live events, especially concerts. As Alicia Barber noted in 2022 when the initial permit was approved, numerous residents were concerned about noise in the downtown area, and have since continued to voice those concerns at city council meetings. As part of the permit conditions, the venue is allowed unlimited noise for 20 events each year. Outside of these events, noise is limited to 85 decibels, and all performances must conclude by 11 p.m., with clean-up extending until midnight on weekends.

Fuss said the noise at events held this past year have been closely monitored. The venue uses multiple noise monitors to provide real-time data on sound levels throughout the events. She said based on the data, the majority of events did not exceed the 85-decibel limit, though spikes from external factors—such as passing trains or motorcycles—were recorded occasionally.

“We’ve been proactive in monitoring noise and addressing concerns,” she said, adding that the city has received around four complaints, two of which were construction-related. Only two complaints involved noise during events, but these occurred at a private event hosted at the J Resort, not Glow Plaza.

“To see what [Jacobs] has accomplished has been really miraculous.”

Jacobs Entertainment’s attorney, Garrett Gordon, thanked city staff and council members for support of the events. He said the plaza was designed to revitalize downtown Reno and attract both locals and tourists, and it has “exceeded expectations.” 

“We’re thrilled with the response from the community and visitors alike,” Gordon said. “The vision we had for Fourth Street to become a cultural hub is coming to life, and we look forward to expanding that experience in 2025.”

Over the past year, the Glow Plaza has had 20 events, including concerts by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Blues Traveler, Everclear and Trampled by Turtles, bringing in over 1,000 visitors for each event, Gordon said.  

Additionally, the venue hosted cultural events such as the Reno Night Market and the Hispanic Culture Event, which featured local food vendors, arts and live performances. 

“Our goal is not just to bring concerts, but to activate this space with community and family-friendly events,” Gordon said. “We’ve seen a great mix of local vendors, local DJs and activities for all ages, which has helped to create a vibrant atmosphere in downtown Reno.”

The plaza also includes new infrastructure as part of its “activation,” such as new risers for seating and VIP tables. Gordon said the venue’s retro aesthetic and views of downtown Reno have made the Glow Plaza a new focal point of the city, adding, “This space has revitalized a once-neglected part of downtown.” 

Some residents disagree with Gordon’s assessment of the area as revitalized. Jacobs Entertainment has been criticized for acquiring dozens of properties throughout the area of west downtown, demolishing buildings and leaving behind vacant dirt lots or parking lots. Despite pledges to revitalize downtown Reno since at least 2017, projects have been limited in scope and slow to come to fruition, focusing on the Glow Plaza, signage, outdoor sculptures and improvements to J Resort. One weekly motel was renovated into Renova Flats.

Jonathan Boulware, vice president of Nevada operations for Jacobs Entertainment, also spoke during the meeting and touted a forthcoming $130 million in investment by the Colorado-based gaming company. 

The bulk of the investment is in J Resort and an expanded “festival ground,” which will be at the property adjacent to the train trench. The area is currently a parking lot for Glow Plaza attendees. Plans include a new 24-hour indoor-outdoor pool, a spa and fitness facility, banquet space, a new resort entrance with art, more parking and a display of owner Jeff Jacobs’ European sports cars. 

Boulware said the festival grounds are planned to host up to 10,000 people—five times more than the Glow Plaza—with concerts and events. There was no discussion of whether the grounds would be held to similar noise policies as the Glow Plaza. 

These projects appear to have been in the works for several years, and Boulware said some portions of the project are still in the design phase. Jacobs submitted for a building permit for the resort projects Feb. 13, 2023 before withdrawing the application Aug. 12, 2023. Nearly two dozen permits approved for the resort have been applied for and expired since 2018.

One project that is close to completion is the 60-unit apartment building at 245 North Arlington Ave. Boulware said pre-leasing opens in January 2025 with residents moving in by March 2025. 

Vice Mayor Kathleen Taylor said she appreciates that Jacobs Entertainment is a “good neighbor” to other residents downtown, especially when it comes to noise and events. Taylor has received $4,000 in campaign donations from Jacobs, another $2,000 from Plenium Builders, the contractor working on upgrades at J Resort, and $1,250 from Lepori Construction, the contractor for the Arlington Avenue apartments.

Council member Devon Reese said the investments being made by Jacobs, which are in the realm of hundreds of millions of dollars, are a “rare and powerful driver of positive change.” He said Reno is fortunate to be the recipient. He also said Jacobs Entertainment isn’t really getting credit for the “good things” it’s doing for the community because it isn’t happening quickly. Reese also received $5,000 in campaign donations from Jacobs and $1,000 from Lepori Construction.

Mayor Hillary Schieve said over the years that there have been a lot of people who said they wanted to put arts and culture into the city, but it has not come to fruition. “To see what [Jacobs] has accomplished has been really miraculous,” she said.

Reno, however, has hosted the annual Artown festival for more than two decades, a sculpture festival, art walks, music festivals and other large-scale special events. Many of those are city-sponsored.

Schieve also said people have told her they would never go to Fourth Street before this revitalization, and now they are able to ride their bikes safely within the area. She said the new, revitalized buildings, compared to the “deplorable” motels that were knocked down by Jacobs, are shocking. 

At a 2022 community meeting on the areas owned by Jacobs Entertainment, some residents disagreed. Terry LoBianco said the vacant lots were “somewhat sketchy and bleak.” Community advocate Ilya Arbatman said, “You cannot make the argument that it’s nicer to live on the sidewalk than someplace with a door.”

Schieve—who has received $22,500 in campaign contributions from Jacobs—said those complaints aren’t fair. 

“I think it’s been unfairly negative in a lot of ways,” Schieve said. “You should be commended because the building you just showed was one of the most horrific, deplorable places I have ever seen in my entire life, and that was the Town House [Motor Lodge]. 

“It was unbelievable, and I had been in many … motels on Fourth Street,” Schieve added, tears welling in her eyes. “So the fact that that is cleaned up … there were hundreds of thousands of bed bugs, mold, no running water, you could rent them by the hour, high rates of crime. It wasn’t any place anyone should live, and we let a lot of slum lords get away with a lot for a very long time.” 

The Town House Motor Lodge was one of several weekly motels demolished as part of Jacobs Entertainment’s redevelopment plan.

The Council unanimously accepted Jacobs Entertainment’s report.