The former Sands Regency in downtown Reno is now rebranded into J Resort. Owner Jacobs Entertainment officially debuted the new name of the iconic property undergoing the two-stage modernization project.

J Resort is a redevelopment of the former Sands Regency property set to anchor the Neon Line District spanning half a mile across Fourth Street in downtown Reno. Since Jacobs Entertainment bought the hotel-casino in 2017, the company has invested $300 million for the first phase of the property’s revitalization. Due to the rising demand, Jacobs will now open half of the casino floor, as well as 500 newly remodeled rooms ahead of the time schedule, with phase one of the project expected to be completed in June.

Jeff Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Entertainment, said: “After five years of land assemblage, design, and construction we are pleased today to announce J Resort, Jacobs Entertainment’s flagship property and Nevada’s first art and entertainment-themed resort property.” He added: “J Resort is raising the bar for all northern Nevada resort properties. In addition to the sculptures that we display along Reno’s Neon Line, we will also highlight over $100 million of paintings and sculptures throughout the entire J Resort property.”

Phase One:

Phase one will include a re-arranged casino with 600 new gaming positions, more than 1,000 surface parking spaces for both valet and self-parking, as well as Hanna’s Table – a new three-meal restaurant featuring a seasonal outdoor dining area. The facility will also feature J Paul’s Italian Steakhouse, additional artwork, Afterglow Lounge, and America’s first 24/7 outdoor digital art wall. Outside of J Resort, the Glow Plaza Festival Grounds will host more than 50 events a year, with festivals and outdoor special events already coming this summer.

Phase Two:

Phase two will cost about $100 million and include a 400-position high ceiling extension of the gaming area, rooftop indoor/outdoor swimming pool and spa, and the Asian food and gaming venue. Other themes will feature a sports lounge, as well as additional art featuring  a sculpture of the world-renowned sculptor Richard Erdman being currently made for J Resort in Italy.

Future amenities:

Jacobs’ plans for the property also include the addition of three more towers to the J Resort with a large outdoor pool, amphitheater, showroom, 150 feet zipline, and alike. These amenities will bring the investment on the property to around a billion dollars, the CEO said. By the time the project is fully completed, Jacobs expects that J Resort will rival hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. Also, this growth will ultimately employ over 2,000 people in the region.

Community benefit:

The community benefit will be thus accomplished against some criticism on the issue of residents who were living in motels demolished for the growth of the Neon Line. Vice President of Jacobs Entertainment, Jonathan Boulware said: “Nobody was put on the street when we went through that process, and that’s what makes us feel good about what we did for our community.” He says that Jacobs paid for deposits on apartments and helped motel residents move. The company says over 90 percent of the residents were successfully relocated.

Workforce Housing Project:

According to News 4, Jacobs has already offered land to Reno Housing Authority to help create 1,000 additional workforce housing units but the offer was rejected as the authority is focused on low-income housing rather than workforce. Jacobs said that its workforce project refers to people earning around 80% of the area mean income against those earning around 30-40% of the mean income prioritized by the public sector. He finally says that he is interested in giving his land for the project and that he will continue talks with city officials and developers.