Mixed-use design gets Sparks redevelopment moving

A mixed-use housing complex is coming to Victorian Square in Sparks this fall, providing residents with the opportunity to live, work, shop and play downtown. The plan has been honored as one of the best in the western United States.

The City of Sparks was struggling to find a viable way to revitalize its 26-acre downtown previous plans had been stymied by financial constraints when it finally turned to RTKL.

The city handed the Maryland-based international design firm a tall order. It was commissioned to not only create a diverse and exciting mixed-use development, but one that would enhance existing improvements and expand upon them.

The quality of the design and concept won the design firm the 43rd annual Gold Nugget Merit Award for achievement in architecture and land use planning. The award from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference recognizes achievements in architecture and land-use planning in the West.

The RTKL design shifted the focus to mixed-use providing housing, shopping, office and entertainment space in the same area.

"The biggest challenges/opportunities were the (existing) streetscape improvements. We didn't want to reinvent the wheel," said Nathan Cherry, president-in-charge of the project for RTKL.

However, Cherry says there were some new infrastructure elements the roundabout, the area around the city clock that were not functioning the way the city wanted.

"We wanted to expand it from a public events point of view," he said. A key: Improving access to make it easier for pedestrians and vehicles to get into and out of the project area.

As it is, he said, "You have to drive all around the project to get to the cinema."

So RTKL introduced new streets to make the project more porous and opened up the Avenue of the Oaks, where traffic currently is stopped from either direction by a fountain. The design calls for the two sides of the road to connect and go around the fountain.

The first phase of the project calls for construction of 171 residential units. The second phase calls for office space to house City Hall on the upper floors and retail outlets at street level. The third phase calls for 350,000 square feet of commercial and civic space, with exact plans based upon how well the other sectors are doing.

Cherry said another major challenge facing the city is redevelopment of adjacent property to enhance the downtown area.

Meanwhile, Dallas-based Trammell Crow Company, which purchased discounted downtown city land for $10 million, is enthusiastic about the innovative design.

"We are designing the project to provide affordable luxury with finishes and amenities rarely included in homes in this area," said Michael Perkins, vice president. The developers will begin construction of 171 condos ranging in size from 768 square feet to 2,200 square feet in early October. The builder is holding off breaking ground to accommodate the public events scheduled in the square in September. Trammell Crow posted views of the housing project at liveinthedistrict.com.

"We're finalizing pricing and homes are expected to sell in the range of mid $200,000 to over $600,000 for select larger units," Perkins said.

Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said excitement about the project is widespread as it moves forward.

"We've been working on it for years. We sat down all the stakeholders in the downtown area together," he said. "The biggest challenge was acquiring property."

Property acquisition, in fact, stymied earlier plans.

"The city didn't have the money to buy all the land needed for one big foot print," Martini said, which is why it contacted RTKL to help it design a master plan without the necessity of immediately buying all the land.

Sparks Redevelopment Manager Armando Ornelas said the design helped the city get off the curb. "Mixed use makes a lot of sense. That (the three phases) has allowed us to move forward in a way we have not been able to do before," he said.