More renovations are on the way for Reno's Midtown area.
This, after local investors, Marmot Companies, purchased a collection of 21 residential properties. It's three brothers who own the company, and they are trying to clean the neighborhood up and make it safer for residents.
They are well on their way, after investing another $2 million into those 21 properties. They plan on restoring all of their newly-purchased properties.
"It's a full blown, rehabilitation, revitalization effort," says Eric Raydon with Marmot Companies.
All 21 properties are located just south of the Discovery Museum on South Center Street. That means that community is going to start looking very different in the coming months.
"We started in individual properties, and we've moved onto blocks," Raydon said. "Now, we're doing entire neighborhoods."
The Raydon brothers tell us Midtown is the perfect place to continue restoring homes. It's within walking distance to downtown Reno, and close to shops and restaurants.
Eric Raydon says the ultimate goal is for Reno to follow in Denver's footsteps. The Mile High City was once filled with old, rundown neighborhoods. Then, investors came in, and cleaned everything up, giving the city a whole new look.
"We believe that the foundation is here, for Reno to become truly great, to become the next Denver," says Raydon.
Neighbors say they like the sound of that.
"It's always nice to look out your window and see nice properties rather than, you know, sort of grim and gray ones," says Joshua Holton. "So, I think it's a great idea for them to invest in the area."
Other Midtown residents agree - the area needs some visual improvements.
"Make it more appealing to the eye," says Sam Osheroff. "Kind of like by California Avenue, and how it is over there."
And, making things more appealing to the eye is certainly part of the plan.
"Improving the streetscape, starting with the medians," says Raydon. "Start to repair the sidewalks."
What was once just a rather small project for the Raydon brothers is now reshaping Midtown's entire look and feel.
"What's next for us is we're going to keep buying," says Raydon. "We're going to keep investing in Reno. Right in the heart of Midtown, right in the heart of downtown, we're going to keep going."
With the addition of the 21 homes, the Raydon brothers now own a total of 60 units in 35 properties.
Written by Adam Rasmussen
