Renaming of Sands Regency to J Resort, as part of Jacobs Entertainment's ongoing revamping of Reno.
In the heart of downtown Reno, the once-dilapidated Sands Regency casino hotel has undergone a significant transformation and is now known as J Resort, courtesy of Jacobs Entertainment. After acquiring the property for a mere $30 million in 2017, Jeffrey Jacobs, the mastermind behind the Colorado-based gaming and hospitality firm, declared ambitious plans for the region.
A major piece of this plan is the $1 billion Reno Neon Line District, a mixed-use residential and entertainment district intended to span roughly from Keystone Ave., between W. 3rd and 4th streets, and reach West St. However, the pandemic and subsequent economic challenges have temporarily halted this massive downtown overhaul.
Undeterred, Jacobs Entertainment has stuck to their promise of renovating the Sands into a premier casino destination, officially announcing the rebranding to J Resort during a ceremony at the casino. The new name has been a subject of speculation since a "J" logo appeared on the hotel's exterior.
The initial phase of the renovation, amounting to approximately $300 million, has been completed. Key changes include the refurbishment of 750 guestrooms, a revamped casino floor with new slots and table games, the addition of more than 1,000 parking spaces, and the opening of two new restaurants - Hannah’s Table and J Paul’s Italian Steakhouse - as well as the Afterglow Lounge. An exterior digital wall displaying digital art from global artists and spanning 65 feet is also part of the renovation.
The next phase, with a budget of $100 million, includes an expansion of the gaming floor, a rooftop pool and spa, a sportsbook, and Asian-focused eateries. A third and final phase, for which no budget has been announced, will feature a new hotel tower with 1,200 guestrooms, 100,000 square feet of convention space, and a dinner theater for 400 guests.
Despite faced criticism for buying out and demolishing budget motels and low-income housing units surrounding the casino, Jacobs defends his actions, claiming that the blighted buildings were impeding investments in the downtown area. The company is also engaged in discussions with the City of Reno to develop some of the vacant land following the demolition. However, Jacobs has little enthusiasm for funding housing projects himself.
Jonathan Boulware, the regional vice president of Jacobs Entertainment, asserts that the displaced tenants were living in inhumane conditions. He claims that the casino operator assisted these displaced residents in finding new, superior housing, with approximately 95% of them successfully securing new homes.
In Boulware's words, "If that’s the definition of displacement, then you’re damn right we’ll be displacing people all night long. We take care of people." This statement is a testament to Jacobs Entertainment's hard-nosed approach to revitalizing downtown Reno.
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