I have been in Reno since 2013, and one of the biggest reasons I was drawn to the Reno Aces was the location of the ballpark. Being in the heart of downtown was not just a feature. It was the point.

Downtown is the clearest expression of a city’s identity.  It is why we know a City. Downtown! For decades in Reno, that identity was built on gaming, major events, and a steady flow of visitors. That foundation created energy, activity, and put Reno on the map.

What is happening now is the next version of that story.

Over the past three years, more than 1,000 residential units have been added along 2nd Street. The Ballpark Apartments have connected where people live directly to where they spend their time. The Brewery District continues to grow just a few blocks away, adding walkable, local experiences that extend activity well beyond traditional hours.

Downtown is also more connected than it has been in years. It is accessible from across the region and increasingly tied to the University of Nevada thanks to the campus moving south. That matters because downtown cannot just be event driven. It has to function as part of daily life.

For downtown to work long term, it has to be a place where people live, work, and spend their time. Not occasionally. Consistently.

That is where baseball fits.

With 75 home games each season, the Reno Aces provide something few other assets can. Consistency.  No sport activates nightly like baseball.  Fans moving through downtown, stopping at local businesses, showing up early, staying after the game ends. That activity does not stay inside the ballpark. It carries into the surrounding streets and businesses.

Location is what makes that possible. A downtown ballpark connects everything. People can walk from their homes, meet friends nearby, and move easily through the district. The game becomes part of a larger experience instead of a single destination.

There is also a visibility that matters. The ballpark is part of the daily landscape. It sits alongside new housing, growing districts, and long-standing entertainment anchors. It reinforces that it is part of the city, not separate from it.

Downtown has challenges. Every downtown does. That is not the point.

The point is momentum. Investment is happening. People are choosing to live here. Businesses are opening and growing. The energy is real, and it is building.

The elements that built its identity are still here. Gaming, events, and the core of what made this city work. What is being added now is a more complete experience, one that brings people back not just for a weekend, but every day.

If you have not been downtown recently, go experience it. Walk it. Spend time there.

What built Reno is still there. And what Reno is building will put Reno on new maps for new reasons.

Nothing fast is meaningful. And nothing meaningful is fast. What is being built now is what will define what comes next. And there is nowhere I’d rather be.

Eric Edelstein
President
Reno Aces