Sparks selects Northern Nevada Community Housing to develop affordable apartments at 306 Tenth Street; proposal preserves existing building

The Sparks City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 28 to select Northern Nevada Community Housing (NCH) to develop affordable housing at 306 Tenth Street, a downtown parcel the city acquired in April 2024 using Home Means Nevada Initiative (HMNI) funds.

Amy Jones, the city’s housing specialist, told council members that the property is just under an acre, currently used largely as a parking lot, and includes a vacant building built between about 1912 and 1925. Because the parcel was purchased with HMNI funds and a grant agreement with the Nevada Housing Division, the site must be used for affordable housing serving households at 60% of area median income (AMI) and below, and the site must maintain an affordability period (the transcript states a minimum number of years but the specific term was not specified in the presentation).

The city received three development proposals through an open request for proposals (RFP): Green Street Development, Northern Nevada Community Housing, and the Reno Housing Authority (one respondent, Harlem Congregation for Community Improvement, withdrew). A staff ranking committee reviewed submissions on qualifications, organizational and financial capacity, and project design and recommended NCH.

NCH’s proposal — presented in the packet and discussed at the meeting — would repurpose the existing building as a community room and leasing office and deliver about 41 units targeted at households earning 60% AMI and below, with a veteran preference for tenant selection. The proposal includes site amenities such as a rooftop deck, private balconies or patios for units, common space and outdoor gathering areas, and a plan to provide 20 hours per week of on-site supportive services; the project’s estimated total cost is approximately $6.1 million, and NCH estimated construction completion in September 2027.

By comparison, Green Street Development proposed a senior-focused project (The Oaks at Victorian Square) of approximately 41 units (potentially up to 50 depending on funding), with an estimated cost of about $14.2 million and demolition of the existing building (Green Street said they would research options for the building). The Reno Housing Authority proposed an 80-unit family/worker project in two phases (40 units per phase), with 48 units at 60% AMI and 32 deeply subsidized units for lower-income residents; that proposal estimated a total cost of roughly $39.7 million.

Jones said the next steps, following council selection, are: city staff will draft a development agreement with the selected developer, assign and transfer the HMNI grant agreement to the developer via assignment-and-assumption, transfer the declaration of restricted covenants similarly, and quitclaim-deed the property to the developer; those actions will return to council for approval.

Council members praised the submissions and the staff process. Member Amber Bybee, who served on the review discussion, said she supported the NCH proposal because it keeps the historic building and provides veteran preference. Member Abbott moved to approve the selection; Member Rodriguez seconded. The motion passed unanimously with those present.

Why it matters: the property’s downtown location is within walking distance of local schools, services and a transit stop, and the site was required by the HMNI grant terms to be used for long-term affordable housing serving low- and moderate-income households.

Clarifying notes from the record: the HMNI grant and the required affordability term were referenced but the specific minimum number of years for the affordability period was not specified in the presentation; the city will transfer the HMNI grant and the declaration of restricted covenants to the selected developer via assignment agreements and then transfer the property by quitclaim deed.