Reno's Planning Commission voted 4-1 late Wednesday evening to approve a conditional-use permit for a proposed $350 million entertainment district built around a 6,000-seat professional soccer stadium, clearing a major hurdle for the project known as The Boulevard Reno even as commissioners tacked on new conditions over noise and traffic. The lone no vote came from Commissioner Sean McCoy, and the approval still leaves several steps before any shovel hits dirt at the site on Kietzke Lane between Peckham and Moana.
The vote, confirmed by mynews4.com, requires the development team to conduct a more detailed noise study and present a game-day traffic management plan before the project can move forward. The proposal now heads to the Reno City Council and the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission, both of which still have to weigh in before construction could begin, according to the same report.
The scale of what's being proposed is considerable. Plans call for a seven-story hotel and casino, a retail village, restaurants and a public gathering space branded as Electric Avenue, according to Nevada Sports Net, which put the retail village at 55,000 square feet with a 37,000-square-foot plaza. That outlet also reported landscaping plans calling for 323 trees and 1,500 shrubs or groundcovers across the site.
Conflicting Numbers on Size and Rooms
Exactly how big the project is depends on which account you read. Nevada Sports Net and Yogonet both describe the footprint as 28 acres, while mynews4.com puts it at about 30 acres. The hotel component is similarly disputed: Nevada Sports Net reported a 301-room hotel, casino and convention center, while mynews4.com reported a 358-room hotel, casino and retail space attached to the project.
The conditional-use permit is one of the approvals required for the proposed development.
Nevada Sports Net identifies Douglas R. Thornley as the author of a project justification letter.
Noise Study Becomes a Sticking Point
A more detailed noise study is required before the project can move forward.
Public meeting attendees and commissioners alike raised concerns about both traffic and noise during the hearing.
Traffic planning remains part of the review, and the project must have a game-day traffic management plan before moving forward.
Regional Agencies Weigh In
Several outside agencies also submitted feedback as part of the review. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority identified potential airspace and navigational challenges and asked for information on new structures and temporary cranes for FAA review, per the Elko Daily Free Press account. The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County requested infrastructure improvements tied to roads and access, along with an assessment of effects on transit stops and whether parking lanes might convert to transit-only lanes during events.
The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Authority found no conformance issues in its initial review based on limited information but asked Reno to ensure compliance with standards covering water, wastewater, flood control, storm-drainage management and transportation, the same reporting states.
Surrounding businesses raised infrastructure-cost concerns during the process.
Commissioners David Jacomini and Alex Velto recused themselves from the vote itself over potential conflicts of interest, according to that reporting.
A Stadium Still Two Years From Kickoff
The soccer side of the plan is further along conceptually than the dirt is. Reno City FC, the United Soccer League Championship team slated to play in the stadium, was unveiled at a Reno Public Market event in September and is planned to begin playing games in 2027. On its website, Reno City FC describes the stadium as designed to be more than a place to watch a match — “a year-round gathering place for our community.”
Reno has tried this before. Reno 1868 FC played from 2017 to 2020 before ceasing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Yogonet's reporting. The site itself has a short runway of its own history: the former Jones West Ford dealership property was bought by an unidentified buyer in September 2025, and the nearby Peckham Square shopping center was acquired by the same ownership group just days later, per that outlet.
Yogonet also reported that the broader project could generate between 850 and 950 jobs and provide more than 1,200 on-site parking spaces. Whether the gaming-overlay expansion and zoning-map amendments tied to the project reach final sign-off remains to be seen as the proposal heads to the City Council and the regional planning commission.
