What makes Reno so special?

Midsize cities in the U.S. are seeing a renaissance as people from large metro areas are getting sick of the hustle and bustle by putting down roots in smaller cities like Reno, Nevada. Compared to big cities, you’ll find better priced housing, improved quality of life, and business opportunities galore. What is the secret of the Biggest Little City that makes it such a great place to settle down? We have five great reasons why!

1. YES to Business and Jobs; NO to Income Tax.

Just three short years ago, Tesla opened its Gigafactory and employed over 5,000 people. Soon after, other large companies followed suit like Apple, Switch, Microsoft, Intuit, and Patagonia. This movement created thousands of jobs for all

Along with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, Apple CEO Tim Cook surprised us all with his appearance at the groundbreaking of the new data center in Downtown Reno.

Image courtesy of Las Vegas Review Journal

The new $4 million warehouse is a small extension of Apple’s already wide footprint on the Reno area. The company has announced plans to invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy over the next five years, including doubling the size of its $1 billion data center east of Reno.

“We are pleased to be part of transforming downtown Reno to the vibrant city it should be,” Cook said at the ceremony. “Our commitment to Reno and Northern Nevada is representative of the commitments we’ve made throughout the U.S.”

Cook

Northern Nevada has earned big headlines in the news as a major tech hub, but is it really the next Silicon Valley?

Image courtesy of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce

Particularly since Tesla began construction on its Gigafactory, Reno has had national headlines pegging it as the newest Silicon Valley. Lately, they’ve sounded something like this:

“For decades, the city was a gambling mecca. But when casinos fell on hard times, Reno struggled. The city has reinvented itself as a tech hub, thanks to recent arrivals like Tesla.”

That clip came from CBS This Morning as they touched on Reno’s economic improvements. And they are right – many big names in tech have moved, or expanded to northern Nevada in recent time including Apple, Switch

After going through the toughest recession in its history, Northern Nevada has hit some major economic development victories.

Last year, 156.4 million pounds of cargo came through Reno’s airport the three to four weeks prior to Christmas. This whopping number was an all-time record for the facility. And the airport isn’t the only player in the region to see shipping traffic “take off”.

The improving economy has combined successfully with the increased adoption of e-commerce, which has help fuel an increase in the number of new warehouses and distribution center. Add a growing manufacturing base producing items from cheese to pet food to electric batteries, and Northern Nevada continues its transformation as a distribution mecca. Storage and

Reno has repainted its image and now it’s challenging Silicon Valley with its attractive business structure.

“There was only one place to go, and that was up,” said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.

In 2011, unemployment peaked at nearly 14% when Governor Brian Sandoval signed a law aiming to diversify the state’s economy. He recognized that gambling wasn’t enough to support the state’s economy and a sustainable workforce.

Reno has scored some big wins, starting with a new, highly automated factory run by Ardagh Group SA. The factory produces 3.5 million cans of tomato paste and other food products in just one day. In 2014, Tesla chose Reno out of six other locations to build its greatly anticipated Gigafactory. The Gigafactory is the largest in

The world’s first high desert biome eco-district is planned for Reno, NV.

The initial phases have just been proposed by architect and developer Don J Clark Group in conjunction with the landscape architects Office of Cheryl Barton. A new $1.2 billion purpose-built neighborhood will transform West 2nd District in the heart of Reno.

By taking a series of underutilized lots, the project hopes to jumpstart an ecologically driven neighborhood with 1,900 housing units, 4,500 square feet of office space and 250,000 square feet of retail. Nearly 30 buildings will be included in the space and provide market-rate and workforce housing.

Courtesy of the Office of Cheryl Barton

Construction is aimed to connect to the surrounding nature by integrating

Google, Inc. has purchased 1,210 acres of land at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center.  

Per the documents filed last week in Storey County, the Silicon Valley tech giant spent nearly $29.1 million on the land in the same industrial park as Tesla. Governor Sandoval welcomed the high-profile company’s expansion into the state.

“Google is an internationally recognized and respected brand and one of the premier technology companies on the planet,” Sandoval said. “As with all businesses, the state stands ready as a willing and friendly partner in the development of this site.”

Several parcels of vacant land at the TRIC, just east of Reno, were snatched up by Google. One parcel is a whopping 662 acres and the other its slightly smaller

The Tesla Gigafactory plant outside of Reno is ramping up.

Tesla has hired more than 1,000 workers at its Reno location, according to the head of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and is on track to increase hiring goals each month. This workforce expansion expects the factory to have 3,200 workers by March 2018. Executive Director Steve Hill told the Senate Finance Committee last week during a budget review meeting that the California-based electric carmaker and energy company should be hiring 150 to 200 workers every month.

Grant Thornton for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development conducted an independent audit that confirmed that Tesla was meeting all applicable targets. The state established the targets when it