677 South Virginia to be Remodeled to House Three Businesses

by Mike Van Houten / Feb 18, 2016

677 South Virginia, the building that was home to Classic Skate Shop and currently Ace Tattoo, will soon be rehabbed by Origin 8 Architecture,  and be reconfigured to house three businesses, as part of the Sticks project. 

 

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  • February 19, 2016 - 7:27:58 AM

    Well, here I go again. I know if I can't say anything nice then I shouldn't say anything at all, but seriously? This? You take an authentic original mid century building and superimpose a fake midcentury looking facade over it? Why? This is so sad. What makes Midtown so special is that each building is a unique expression of its individual and historic past. It is not a homogenized strip mall. This building does not need to blend in with the Sticks complex. It is perfect the way it is. I have done some research on this property and the little house stuck on the back of it that is home to Neverender is the back porch of what used to be a large house that extended all the way to Virginia St. The home was occupied by many people over the years including Milo and Wilma Fudge. Yes. Wilma Fudge. Such a great name. In 1949, the owners cut the front of the house off and built this commercial building in a sleek new modern style. It was home to a flower shop for many years. Now Aces has occupied it for so long they are a fixture in Midtown, and they will get kicked out because the owners want to divide it into three spaces and extract more income from the building. To me, this is not exciting news at all. It signals the end of a beautiful grassroots era and the beginning of the homogenization of Midtown. What's next? Everyone's signs have to be in the same style?

  • February 19, 2016 - 8:21:42 AM

    Hey, relax. Progress doesn't stop -- nor should it -- because a cultural luddite dislikes a vision that's beyond his/her capacity. Purchase the building, and employ your vision. Words are inexpensive. Actually doing something isn't. Make note.

  • February 19, 2016 - 8:22:40 AM

    One less tattoo parlor, sounds like a win for every Renoite. I dont under the whining from Bungalow. The owner wants to put money into the buillding, and God Forbid he earn additional money from his investment. (Comment edited to exclude name calling.)

  • February 19, 2016 - 8:56:17 AM

    I'm all for the owner maximizing return on their investment. But Bungalow is correct that they are taking a true mid-century modern building and putting a caricature of modern architecture over it. Stripping culture for an immediate return is short sighted and bad for the city.

  • February 19, 2016 - 9:23:41 AM

    We don't know if Aces Tattoo is being kicked out. I heard something about them buying a building in the same neighborhood. I think the developer is waiting until the building is vacant to remodel it. Regarding the design, it's an early rendering, and there isn't much the developer has done in Midtown previously that I don't approve of. To be fair, he has a history of preserving buildings in Midtown, he isn't removing or modifying the brick portion of this building, so let's take a wait-and-see approach. Have you reached out to Bernie Carter or Tim Carter with your concerns?

  • February 19, 2016 - 9:31:54 AM

    "Stripping culture for an immediate return is short sighted and bad for the city". Your conclusion depends on *three* key assertions, that in current form make no sense. I'm not sure if you've actually ever built anything, but give it a try sometime. You'll then understand the difference between the theoretical and the practical. Most often, the practical depends on a contemplative process that's more demanding than the underpinnings of your argument. Talk is inexpensive. Investing in a vision is not. Build-on Reno. Ignore the nattering class. Unhappy critics do what they do.

  • February 19, 2016 - 10:09:23 AM

    Aces is moving down the street, the owner saw this coming when the rent was going to be raised and a year to year lease.

  • February 19, 2016 - 1:46:23 PM

    Re: new version of the building. Interesting take on our beloved Mid- Century building...definitely kills the classic look and replacing it with the faux "modern" aesthetic of the Sticks mini mall. Not quite my cup of tea, but it's the Carters sandbox and they get to do as they please. I preferred the way we had it with the olive paint, spotlights on the face showcasing the hand painted signage, and unobstructed large angled glass. Repainting it red with the weird Starsky and Hutch racing stripe up top and removing the lights made it a little...different. Again, their deal. They have been great landlords, always super cool to us, so I'm not going to join in on any kind of bashing them. Obviously their sense of aesthetics and "vision" is much different than ours ( and some of the commenters here) but I guess that's the way of "progress". I'm glad the modifications they're proposing are simply "stick- on" mods...nothing that can't be undone if wanted and not altering the actual building itself- an updated face- lift, if you will. It'll be interesting to see it finished. As for the questions regarding Aces and where we're going, it's pretty simple: not far. We are moving right next door to the old Penny's Mercantile building in between our existing location and Süp. And what we're doing is the complete opposite of above- instead of trying to change the nature and look of the place, we are embracing the classic 1920s bungalow style by enlarging and adding steps the full length of the porch, replacing that godawful siding with more period- correct clapboard, solid oak hardwood floors, vintage cabinets in the sterile room, the whole nine- yards. Its almost 100 years old and why ruin that? It's going to be classy with a different unique look that ties in with what we are- artists walking to a different beat than the norm. Essentially restoring it and trying to keep midtown from looking generic and cheesy or tacky and rundown...kinda like how Art has done with the new Saint music hall/ distillery. Keeping the vintage vibe and not ruining it is our goal as well.

  • February 19, 2016 - 2:44:25 PM

    Great job guys! Aces a true pillar of a Reno and mid town history you guy will make that 100 yr old building look even greater!

  • February 19, 2016 - 3:35:21 PM

    I don't like that the Sticks branding verticals extend to the ground and interrupt the sidewalk space, even if it is technically within their lot. If they need to tie it visually to the larger project, better to find a way that doesn't impede walking.

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