Sundowner conversion into Belvedere condos going full-tilt

You can't tell by looking, but work inside the Sundowner Casino and Hotel is going fullthrottle.

The condo conversion, originally set for completion by January of this year, ran into a few more challenges than expected.

"We're taking it down to the shell," says Bijan Madjlessi, a principal with the condo's developers, Belvedere LLC, and president of the Menlo Oaks Corp., its parent company.

The Bay Area firm hadn't expected to have to go quite that far.

But as they got into the demolition of the interior of the old building, they found less to preserve and more to demolish than originally thought.

"We had a change in plans," says Madjlessi.

"The building will be all brand new, right down to the walls."

The more extensive renovation, he adds, "will be better for the quality of life of future condo owners and for liability, too." The north tower of the two-tower former hotel is now slated for completion in the spring of 2006.

A few other changes come along with the delay.

Like pricing.

The units will run roughly $120,000 to $375,000, says Madjlessi, depending on the market at the time of release.

Since the Sundowner's sale and first announcement of its conversion into the Belvedere condominiums a year ago, the downtown area has seen the near-completion of the Comstock conversion into 125 condominiums it released its final units for sale last month the beginning of construction on the Palladio luxury condominiums, and further announcements of other conversions and new condo construction plans.

In keeping with Reno's downtown market changes, says Madjlessi, his firm has reconfigured the Belvedere to include fewer studio condos, and more one- and two-bedroom units,with possibly even a townhouse layout as well, designed by Reno architect Gordon Aloiau.

"We're investigating," says Madjlessi.

His enthusiasm for downtown Reno undampened by the renovation challenges at the Belvedere extends to another possibility, the construction of a new condo tower at Arlington Avenue and West Fourth Street.

Separate from the Belvedere, the new tower would include underground parking, first-floor retail, and residential above, on land the firm owns next door to the Belvedere.

But that one, says Madjlessi,would not begin for almost two years, until both Belvedere towers are complete.

His firm plans to begin marketing the Belvedere's north tower units within the next two months, and to begin construction on the project's south tower within the year for completion in about 18 months.

The ground floor will be devoted to retail and restaurant space.