Stuart Katzoff's vision for downtown
Reno is hardly limited to Aces Ballpark.
Now that the stadium is built and the
Aces have a their long-awaited home,
Katzoff, president of SK Baseball, is moving
forward with the second phase of the
project: adding 40,000 square feet for
several restaurants and bars to diversify
ballpark entertainment options.
When they were building the ballpark,
subcontractors put in place the mechanical
and electrical infrastructure for the second
phase. Katzoff plans on adding four
bars on the ballpark's upper concourse,
several themed restaurants to the downstairs
level, a concert venue and an
expansive plaza in front of the stadium.
Although funding has yet to be secured,
construction is planned after the Reno
Aces complete their inaugural season and
should be ready for the team's 2010 season.
Katzoff says that while credit markets
are still extremely tight, he's got a full season
of baseball to work through the challenges.
"All that should get done in time," he
says. "We are in negotiations and expect
to get financed soon."
Although no restaurant concepts have
been locked in, Stuart Katzoff and his
father, Jerry, operate the upscale restaurant
brand Il Mulino, which has locations
in New York City, Las Vegas, Tokyo,
Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. He
says he also has strong ties with the PJ
Clarke's, a saloon-style eatery in New
York City.
The goal, Katzoff says, is to add flavor
to the stadium so that baseball isn't
the only item on the menu.
"We could have 9,000 people coming
to every game, and making them
come early and keep them staying later is
some of the goal," he says. "We want to
make it a real 365-day venue in the
dead of winter it won't be as appealing
as fall, summer and spring, but it will be
a real entertainment district."
Additionally, Katzoff envisions up to
three more phases of Freight House
District renovations. SK Baseball owns
land adjacent to Aces Ballpark, and plans
on adding retail and office space as well
as a hotel-casino venture.
Of course, future work depends on the
success of the ballpark, as well as on the
success of the planned restaurants and
watering holes.
"They all feed off each other," Katzoff
says. "If the ballpark attracts 9,000 on a
consistent basis, it helps Phase II thrive. It
depends on baseball, and a lot of it
depends on the people here it is a true
partnership going forward."
Katzoff knows that much of the success
of the ballpark, restaurants and bars
depends on the success of the Reno Aces
on the field: winning will drive people to
the park in greater numbers. But he says
the festive atmosphere of the shiny new
park, coupled with the additional entertainment,
still should drive business to the
Freight House District.
"It is a town that loves its sports," he
says. "I have heard that you have to be
winning to get support here, but people
will realize there is more here than just
baseball it is a true entertainment district.
"We will have great things here that I
don't think people have seen before, and
it should help whether the team is winning
or not. People will want to be in such a
great park and be around the entertainment.
That is our goal."
Katzoff says when the idea stuck to
own a baseball team, he began conducting
due diligence on the Tucson
Sidewinders. Though he wasn't very familiar
with Reno, he also began researching
how city leaders and others here had
been pursuing professional baseball in
the Truckee Meadows for years.
Despite Reno's frigid early spring temperatures,
the region enjoys plenty of sunshine,
and relocating the Sidewinders
from Arizona seemed like a viable option.
And redeveloping the Freight House
District also provided some excellent real
estate opportunities.
"For me this is a first step and hopefully
the opportunity to redevelop a great
downtown," he says. "There are some
great assets in this city. If you look at
other cities with AAA baseball, it is the
anchor and a great tool to help redevelopment.
"Of course we have some challenges
especially with the economy we are in
but I really believe it is a catalyst to
drive redevelopment. I hope to give people
a reason to come down here, and if
people here support us, it is a real great
opportunity for downtown."
