Terry A. Shirey
Officials gathered recently at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center to celebrate the start of construction of the first lodging accommodations in the center east of Sparks.
With grading work well underway, representatives of the county, owners and contractors ceremonially threw the first shovels of dirt for Studio 6 Hotel & Recharge Bar, under construction at USA Parkway and Electric Avenue in the retail district of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center.
“This is a much needed hotel being built out here that will benefit the park,” Dean Haymore, director of the Storey County Building Department/Community Development, told the gathering.
The 44,000 square foot, three-story, extended-stay hotel will have 91 units, each with kitchens, WiFi, and large-screen televisions, plus a laundry room on the premises to accommodate long term guests, explained Turk Cobell, founder and managing member of CCM Hospitality LLC, which holds the franchise for the Studio 6 Hotel, the extended-stay branch of Motel 6.
Also planned are electrical vehicle charging parking spots and a restaurant and bar.
The hotel provides a convenient place to stay for subcontractors, according to John Mulkey, managing member of CCM. He gave the example of an electrician coming from Northern California to work on a seven- to 10-week project at Tesla, who could stay close to the job instead of driving into Reno/Sparks every night.
“Studio 6 is a little more value-conscious brand,” Mulkey said. The company also had the flexibility that allowed CCM to build a bar and restaurant.
“Not all companies are that flexible,” he said.
The Recharge Bar will include espresso coffee service — a feature that those working in the TRIC had requested — and a full menu.
“There will be plenty of TVs to watch games,” Cobell said.
A benefit could be spreading out traffic congestion from the giant industrial park that’s still growing.
Cobell said they anticipate the Studio 6 Hotel & Recharge Bar will open in the first quarter of 2018.
While Studio 6 is the first hotel under construction in the center, it’s not the only one planned. Marriott announced in January that the company plans to build a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at the same intersection and other hotel companies are reportedly in preliminary negotiations to open at TRIC.