The old Harrah's building has been dark since March 2020. Since then, the project has changed its name from Reno City Center to Revival, gone through a bankruptcy filing and a change of ownership, and announced plans for five restaurants, three bars, and two nightclubs at the 1.2 million square foot site.
Elsewhere downtown, independent businesses have opened and begun serving customers.
Those openings are one sign that downtown Reno's mood has shifted this year.
Revival's Project Timeline
The timeline provides context for the project and its announced plans.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2020 | Harrah's Reno closes and the building sits empty |
| February 2024 | The project's then-owner files Chapter 11 bankruptcy under the Reno City Center name |
| March 2025 | Madison Capital Group acquires the site, renames it Revival, and announces plans for roughly 300 market-rate apartments, a revamped hotel, and Class A office space |
| August 2025 | Las Vegas-based Fine Entertainment unveils concepts including The Mint, The George Sportsmen's Lounge, PKWY Tavern, Smelly Cat karaoke lounge, and The BLVD Grille |
| September 2025 | Developer Jonathan Fine says a temporary bar opens within 30 days, phase one venues (PKWY Tavern and The BLVD Grille) open by the end of Q1 2026, and the full project completes by late spring 2026 |
| March 26, 2026 | An investment firm is still sending mailers seeking capital for the project |
The March 26 entry notes that an investment firm was still sending mailers seeking capital for the project; phase one had been expected to open by the end of March 2026. The demolition is done. The asbestos remediation is done. As of this writing, there's no public opening announcement for any Revival restaurant, bar, or nightclub.
Revival is a large project spanning two city blocks, with a hotel, office space, and hundreds of apartment units planned. Nearby businesses and events offer another view of downtown Reno this year.
Downtown Reno's New Openings
Several businesses are already serving food and drinks within walking distance of the former Harrah's building.
The Wave Sushi & Bar opened its doors on June 13 at 300 E. 2nd Street, the ground floor of the parking structure that serves Greater Nevada Field. It filled a space that Mellow Fellow had vacated, and its origin story is about as grassroots as downtown gets: co-owners Maria Ruiz-Tinajero, Brian Hernandez Gonzalez, Norma Martinez Quintana, and Oscar A. Martinez Carrillo started by making sushi platters for family gatherings, built a catering business from that, and only then took on their first brick and mortar location. Norma and Oscar also run Mr. Crab Seafood Boils elsewhere in town, which tells you something about the appetite for locally built food concepts right now rather than imported ones.
A few blocks over, Cook'd officially opened May 4 on South Virginia Street, taking the space left behind by Napa-Sonoma. It's the second location for owners Bryan and Lavinia Miller, whose original sports bar and grill in Minden had built up enough of a following that Reno customers were the ones asking for a location closer to home. That expansion followed the Minden business's established customer following.
MidTown, the walkable strip just south of downtown proper, has its own additions. Sage Leaf Reno opened at 650 Tahoe Street with a March 7 grand opening, a second location for the well-regarded Sage Leaf Tahoe in Incline Village. Selden, an LGBTQ bar from Tyler Colton, the owner of The Emerson, opened in mid-May. Savi Bakery on California Avenue moved through its soft opening around the same time, ahead of a planned grand opening.
These businesses have opened or begun soft openings at their listed locations this year.
A Downtown Calendar of Events
The Riverwalk District, the stretch of downtown that follows the Truckee River and the streets around it, has hosted a series of events this year.
Rush The River launched in June 2026 as a new monthly event on the third Saturday, adding a recurring event to the downtown calendar. August's installment leans into that reliability with a Reno Wine Walk on August 15 from 2 to 5 p.m., an Elvis-themed edition where a $30 ticket buys a wristband, a map, and a wine glass for sampling at participating Riverwalk businesses, with proceeds supporting the district's beautification program. The same evening includes the Maker's Market in the Basement at 50 S. Virginia Street, where local crafters and Made-In-Nevada vendors set up shop, and a postgame fireworks show tied to the Reno Aces schedule at Greater Nevada Field.
The Riverwalk District itself covers eight community parks, three museums, and the Aces' ballpark, all within a footprint small enough to walk in an evening. The district's mix of destinations gives visitors several ways to spend an evening downtown.
Wingfield Park closed out its own summer concert run on August 8 with the Boots Honky Tonk series finale, a live performance by Carson Chandler that drew the season's country music crowd for one last outdoor night before the weather turns. It's a small detail, but it's the kind of small detail that only shows up if a district has enough recurring programming to build a season around in the first place.
August also happens to be the month Reno hosts Hot August Nights, the classic car event marking its 40th anniversary this year and drawing more than 800,000 visitors across Reno and Sparks. That event pulls a regional crowd. The Wine Walk, Rush The River, and the new restaurant openings pull a different one: people who already live within a few miles of downtown and are deciding, week to week, whether it's worth the trip in.
Signs of Downtown Reno's Activity
Together, these openings add to the picture of downtown Reno's activity this year.
This August, several independent businesses are already serving customers downtown, while Revival has not announced opening dates for its restaurants, bars, or nightclub. The sushi bar that grew out of a family's kitchen and the sports bar that followed its regulars from Minden are part of that local activity.
Reno's Riverwalk and MidTown districts have seen activity this year in restaurants, recurring events, and neighborhood businesses.
If you're curious about what else is changing in downtown Reno, or in any of the neighborhoods across Northern Nevada that The Agency Reno covers, reach out. We follow this market closely because we live in it, and we're always glad to talk through what's actually happening on the ground. Contact Us.
