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Council hears options to modernize Virginia Street arch lighting; staff estimate lighting modernization at ~$1.5M
Summary
Maintenance staff briefed Council on recurring neon and bulb wear problems on the Virginia Street arch and proposed LED modernization to enable remote color changes and reduce recurring $4,000 per‑event bulb‑change costs; staff estimated a lighting‑modernization option at approximately $1.5 million (lighting only) and said RDA/CIP will consider funding timing.
Maintenance and operations staff told the City Council Feb. 25 that the iconic Virginia Street arch requires ongoing repairs and that changing bulb colors for events is labor intensive and drives recurring maintenance costs.
Travis Drew, director of maintenance and operations, gave a history of the arch’s iterations and noted average maintenance is about $20,000 per year absent catastrophic damage; a recent windstorm caused a roughly $15,000 repair. Drew said changing the arch’s color palette now requires physically replacing thousands of bulbs and can cost about $4,000 for a custom color change, causing wear to socket outlets and wiring.
Staff described modernization options: installing an integrated LED system with remote control to change colors, and replacing or reimagining the neon "RENO" lettering with faux‑neon alternatives. Ashley Turney (assistant city manager) said the RDA will review the item as part of its CIP list next week; staff offered a preliminary estimate of about $1.5 million for LED modernization of lighting components only (not including a full exterior reskin or structural work). Councilmembers discussed procurement options, contractor licensing requirements for arch work, and the possibility of staging the project (separating LED modernization and neon replacement) to manage costs. No funding vote took place at the meeting.
If council prioritizes the modernization in the RDA CIP, staff said funds would be available starting July 1 and the project could be bid and executed with a 4–6 month procurement and construction window, though street closures and sidewalk work would be required.
Next steps: RDA and staff will include the lighting modernization as an option in the upcoming CIP and budget discussions and return with more detailed cost estimates and procurement strategies.
