Sandoval teams with Reno officials to bridge the divide between UNR’s campus into the downtown area
UNR President Brian Sandoval has a long-term vision for the school. But it’s been a challenge to fit everything on the campus’s current footprint. With downtown looking at ways to grow business, Sandoval is bringing UNR south.
If it looks like UNR has cast its shadow over much of downtown Reno, that’s no coincidence.
Since shortly after UNR President Brian Sandoval took over the university’s leadership in 2021, he has made a concerted effort to connect the university with downtown Reno. The former governor’s goal is to find ways to connect the campus to downtown, across the freeway.
One of the most noticeable projects is the Grand Sierra Resort Arena, which will feature UNR’s Wolf Pack logo emblazoned on the roof of the $435 million, 10,000-seat venue. It will become the home court for the school’s men’s basketball team.
A year ago, UNR purchased 16 parcels south of Interstate 80, some of which included existing homes. The site is being transitioned into University Village, an affordable housing location for graduate students, faculty and staff. The city plans to enhance the area to make it more accessible for biking and walking.
In August, UNR opened the $155 million, 128,000-square-foot John Tulloch Business Building at Ninth Street and University Way for the college’s School of Business. It was one of the largest projects UNR has undertaken.
With recent efforts by Reno’s gaming community to spend billions to create large entertainment venues while adding restaurants, bars, nightlife attractions and remodeled hotel rooms, Sandoval said the housing project is being developed at the perfect time for Reno and the university to become further connected.
He said he is hopeful that a retail component, including restaurants and a grocery store, could be added to the new student housing area.
Meanwhile, UNR is exploring a second housing project near the University Village area on vacant land, but an agreement hasn’t been reached. Sandoval said areas around downtown Reno are the best option, especially given the new developments.
“We have a lot of new [student housing] projects along North Virginia Street, but they're all full and so is our on-campus housing,” Sandoval said. “If you read the data, students do better the closer they live to campus.”
Mayor Hillary Schieve said the city sees a benefit from UNR’s student housing efforts.
The relationship began when city leaders renamed a 2-mile stretch of Center Street to University Way in 2022, which had been requested by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.
“The city was very cooperative. It connects the campus with the community,” Sandoval said of the path that starts at the Truckee River and runs to the campus entrance near the Tulloch Business Building.
Schieve said the road is more accessible for biking and walking.
“There's a lot of new aesthetics, from big planters and umbrellas. It looks like a district now,” she said. “It’s a straight path to the university from the center of downtown.”
Sandoval said Nevada Athletic Director Stephanie Rempe worked with the Reno City Council to declare the city a college town, with banners for Wolf Pack teams placed on city streetlights around the downtown area.
He added that the university is also being considered for other projects, such as a new Reno Veterans Administration hospital on the north end of the campus.
Spirit Airlines to furlough nearly 400 flight attendants in Las Vegas
Spirit Airlines, which had been Harry Reid International Airport’s No. 2 passenger carrier until it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this year, will furlough nearly 400 flight attendants based in Las Vegas by Dec. 1.
In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act letter filed with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation on Sept. 22, the airline said the furlough was expected to be temporary but was unsure of the duration.
Spirit announced in September that it was pulling out of 11 U.S. cities and cutting at least eight routes at Reid Airport, but not flights between Las Vegas and Reno.
Last week, Reuters reported that Spirit had negotiated funding of up to $475 million with existing bondholders to support normal business operations during the restructuring.
Las Vegas tourism officials say online deal promotion was popular
A five-day sales promotion by Las Vegas tourism leaders brought in more consumer interest than Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are annually the biggest online shopping days.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said it was still gathering information on which of the more than 160 limited-time exclusive sales offers were the most popular. The most attention came from potential Las Vegas visitors purchasing resort hotel rooms at reduced rates, 25 percent to 50 percent reductions for restaurant meals and drinks, and discounts on entertainment and experiences.
The promotion was part of the visitor authority’s “Fabulous” advertising campaign, which began after Labor Day in an effort to boost sagging visitation totals. Through August, tourism volume is down 8 percent.
“Our goal was twofold,” LVCVA Chief Marketing Officer Kate Wik said in a statement, “highlight the extraordinary value that has always existed here and generate immediate, meaningful [customer] leads for our partners.”
The LVCVA said the traffic on VisitLasVegas.com was nearly four times higher than the normal weekly average. Website referrals from the organization’s sales page that were forwarded to resort booking engines were nearly 120 times higher than the average week in 2025.
Visitor authority officials said the organization will work with resort executives to understand what effect the promotion had on businesses. The offers covered Strip and downtown casino properties, and non-gaming attractions, such as High Roller Observation Wheel and Papillion Helicopter Tours and trips on the SlotZilla zipline.
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🛥️ Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta selling 252-foot yacht used for massive parties for $192M — Caroline Wilburn, Houston Chronicle
When Fertitta was building the Golden Nugget Biloxi, the harbor and dock area had to be reconfigured because it wasn’t large enough for the yacht.
🎰 California: Hard Rock Casino Tejon to open November 13 — Rege Behe, CDC Gaming
The casino in Kern County, 15 miles south of Bakersfield, is owned by the Tejon Indian Tribe and will be managed by Hard Rock International.
Tony Alamo dies: He was one of gaming’s highest-ranking Hispanic executives
Tony Alamo didn’t follow the traditional corporate development ladder to become the top executive at three Strip resorts. A hotel janitor and coin room operator aren’t normally the job titles that lead one into the executive suite.
Yet Alamo, who died last week at age 84, had an unwavering dedication and a relentless work ethic that gave him the ability to rise from a 19-year-old Cuban immigrant fleeing a communist regime to president of Circus Circus Las Vegas.
After arriving in Miami from Cuba, Alamo worked odd jobs when he moved to Reno. After marrying his wife, Maria, Alamo went to dealer school when he turned 21, mastering craps and blackjack. He eventually moved to Las Vegas and became a shift manager at Circus Circus.
His vision, work ethic and dedication eventually led Alamo to the executive suite.
Alamo also served as president of the Desert Inn and MGM Grand hotels in Las Vegas before capping his career as senior vice president of Mandalay Resort Group, the company that built Monte Carlo (now Park MGM) and Mandalay Bay. It was sold to MGM Resorts International in 2005 for $7.9 billion. During his career, Alamo was a trailblazer, becoming one of the gaming industry’s highest-ranking Hispanic executives.
His son, Dr. Tony Alamo Jr., a former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, said the impossible is his father’s proudest achievement.
“He was proud of everything he ever did from how he raised and made successful his two children to all the large hotel casinos he helped build and run,” Alamo Jr. said in an email. “He was proud of all the people around him that worked for him. His favorite line was, ‘I don’t want people to work harder than me, just as hard.’ That Mantra is what helped make so many of his employees become successful in their own right.”
During his lifetime, Alamo received numerous awards from various organizations, including the University of Nevada Board of Regents, the Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Public Education Foundation. The Clark County School District named Tony Alamo Elementary School in his honor.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Maria Esther; his son; daughter-in-law Karen; daughter Nancy; and grandson Tony.