IFC approves Reno tribal land swap to build prison transitional center

A land swap with the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony will pay for construction of a new transitional center for inmates preparing to re-enter society.

Public Works Manager Gus Nunez told the Interim Finance Committee on Tuesday that the state gets an $8 million center at the corner of 2nd Street and Kietzke Lane.

The tribe gets the land where the old transitional center is located next to the 2nd Street Walmart along the Truckee River. That Walmart is already on tribal land.

Colony chairman Arlen Melendez said the colony hasn't yet decided what to so with the land but is considering, among other things, a cultural center. He conceded that, since it is adjacent to Walmart and the river, the property also has considerable commercial potential.

A spokesman for the colony said after the vote that the new center will not only be larger and modern, it will for the first time provide services to female inmates nearly completion of their sentences.

The existing center serves only male inmates.

Colony officials said the other part of the deal is their decision to share sales tax revenue collected from sales at the Walmart store with the Washoe County School District. Melendez pointed out the tribe has no obligation to share sales tax revenues with the school district but has agreed to send the school district 1 percent of tax receipts from the store each year.