The Reno City Council has approved two elevated walkways connecting the J Resort to future developments that have not yet been approved, and they worried about the wrong things.
Michael Leonard
Jacobs calls the skyways part of its vision for Reno’s Neon Line District, but the project raises larger questions about private development, public streets, pedestrian activity, and the future of West Fourth Street.
One skyway will cross West Fourth Street, connecting the J Resort to a proposed pool, spa, and fitness center. The second will cross Ralston Street, connecting the resort to a proposed parking garage.
Councilmembers spent considerable time debating the skyways' appearance, pedestrian activity, and a replica Reno Arch. Apparently, they paid no attention to the project’s economic feasibility, development history, and financial sustainability.
The important issue is whether Reno City Council is evaluating Jacobs’ projects without holding the developer accountable for the larger redevelopment vision that justified its acquisition and demolition of much of West Fourth Street.
Jacobs is transforming 4th Street, but into what?
Jacobs Entertainment arrived in Reno in 2017 with an ambitious vision of transforming a deteriorating section west of downtown into a destination district.
Nearly a decade later, the central question is whether the project has delivered the promised economic and community benefits. Jacobs has delivered some housing, but far less than it originally envisioned.
Jacobs’ March 2025 announcement identified 47 units at Renova Flats, 18 units at the Gibson Building, 60 units at North Arlington, and 59 planned units at the Bonanza Inn. The original vision reportedly included approximately 2,000 residential units.
Belvedere Towers, The Bonanza Inn and the City that was Silent
The Bonanza Inn was eventually demolished after being promised for worker housing but being found unsuitable for renovation.
In May 2026, Jacobs announced another proposed 500 housing units, a 600-room hotel tower, and a 4,000-seat showroom. These remain development plans, not completed economic activity.
The $500 million debt maturity is the significant financial question.
An investment fund report lists Jacobs Entertainment senior unsecured notes with a 6.75% coupon and a February 15, 2029 maturity and identifies the issuance as approximately $500 million.
The skyways have a projected 36-month development timeline. That puts potential completion around October 2029, about eight months after the reported bond maturity date and leaving one to wonder.
This raises a question: How does Jacobs intend to finance the next phase of development while addressing its existing debt obligations?
What is missing is reliable evidence of Jacobs Entertainment’s cash flow, operating earnings, liquidity, debt covenants, and refinancing plans.
Reno’s Neon Mirage: What Jacobs’ Latest Announcements Tell Us About the Neon Line
Jacobs announced big plans for West Reno, but they are still an unrealized vision.
Brandi Anderson’s sports tourism argument needs evidence.
Councilmember Anderson describes the project as a sports tourism destination where teams will book trips to Reno to enjoy family-friendly activities.
Soccer fields alone do not create a sports tourism industry. Organized youth sports travel follows scheduled competitions. Tournaments need athletic support facilities. Jacob’s district lacks them.
Anderson should have asked which organizations are committed to using these fields, what tournaments are scheduled, how many visiting teams are expected, and how many hotel room nights those events will generate.
Downtown Soccer Fields are the New Neon Line Distraction but Where is the Infrastructure?
Naomi Duerr overlooked the existing condition.
Duerr’s concern is that skyways draw pedestrians away from Fourth Street. They can reduce the commercial opportunities created by pedestrians walking past storefronts.
However, the portion of Fourth Street involved in the Neon Line district lacks the street-level commercial activity Duerr wants to protect.
The whole area is owned by Jacobs and is mostly empty lots. The skyways help the project to become a self-contained casino resort, which is what Jacobs intends.
Schieve’s response illustrates the city’s approach to Jacobs.
Mayor Schieve expressed frustration that projects intended to improve downtown continually generate opposition.
That framing reduces the debate to a choice between supporting investment and obstructing progress.
However, residents can support redevelopment while questioning a particular developer’s results, and this area is not downtown.
Jacobs has enjoyed years of cooperation with the municipality. Residents have a legitimate interest in asking whether that development strategy is working.
Schieve has been a non-stop supporter of Jacobs, calling him amazing, and her campaign manager, Jessica Sferrazza, is Jacob’s lobbyist.
How Reno Lost Its Opportunity for a Modern Neon Line Resort
My Conclusion
The city council voted 6-1 for the two skyways, but the larger story is nearly ten years of redevelopment promises and whether the results justify the city’s continued confidence and support.
Jacobs has invested substantial money acquiring land, renovated the Sands Regency into J Resort, added soccer fields, and delivered some housing.
Yet much of the original mixed-use development vision remains unfinished, and the company’s substantial 2029 debt maturity raises legitimate questions about its capacity to complete additional projects.
It’s not that the skyways are bad. I don’t object to the skyways. Jacobs has a right to develop his properties, and the skyways make the development possible.
Other casinos, like the Atlantis and the Peppermill, are large, self-contained districts. The Neon-Line district isn’t downtown. It was never walkable, and it never will be.
The problem is that Reno City Council continues to evaluate the next Jacobs project without adequately examining the cumulative results of the previous ones. That is the accountability question the skyway approval should have prompted.
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