Indian Colony Transforms 

Idle Property into a 

Community Benefit

Reno, Nevada The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (RSIC) is a federally recognized 

Indian Tribe composed of more than 1,000 members throughout its 

2,000 acres of Tribal land in and within proximity to Reno, Nevada. 

The Colony seeks to both preserve its culture and expand its economic 

development in an ever demanding world. In order to meet this need, it 

has developed more than 80 acres in Reno and Washoe County that it 

now leases to commercial tenants and on which the Colony’s Economic 

Development Department constructed a $20 million Tribal Health 

Center, which services more than 9,000 Native Americans in the Washoe 

County area. 

Looking to increase its revenue base and improve the quality of life in 

the neighborhood, the RSIC began assembling a dozen under-utilized 

industrial parcels in 1992 with the goal of creating more compatible land 

uses and economic development by leasing the combined property to a 

big-box retailer. Most of the previous landowners were not willing to 

sell at the same time. While most of the parcels were acquired between 

1994 and 1995, the final parcels were not acquired until 2000. Taking 

ownership of these parcels allowed the RSIC to clean up its surrounding 

neighborhood by removing the associated industrial blight. In order to 

address contamination on the 22-acre property, the Colony applied for a 

loan through the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). 

In November 2007, the NDEP loaned $950,000 to the RSIC to assist 

with cleanup costs at the property. This loan was made possible through 

a $2,000,000 EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant 

awarded to the NDEP in 2001. This is the fi rst Brownfields loan made to 

an Indian community in the western states and the first loan made in the 

State of Nevada. 

Located in Reno, Nevada, the property is bordered by an interstate 

highway, the Truckee River, and the largest casino-resort in northern 

Nevada. Phase I environmental site assessments highlighted the 

property’s former uses including an automotive repair shop, plant 

nursery and other industrial facilities. While not all of the individual 

Phase I assessments expressed concern with any recognized 

environmental conditions, the Phase I for a former radiator repair 

property indicated further investigation was needed. A Phase II 

assessment revealed pesticide, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), 

metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and nitrogen 

compounds present in the soil. The RSIC used funds loaned from the 

Soil remediation underway. 

© Reno-Sparks Indian Colony; Kleinfelder 

JUST THE FACTS:

• The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony 

partnered with local, state, and 

federal governments to complete 

the remediation of this property for 

redevelopment.

 • Part of the property cleanup was 

funded by a $950,000 loan from the 

Nevada Division of Environment 

Protection’s EPA Brownfields 

Revolving Loan Fund grant. 

• The property will be redeveloped 

as a Wal-Mart Super Center; a 

portion of tax revenues from the 

retailer will be granted to the Nevada 

Department of Corrections and the 

Washoe County School District. 

This is the first 

EPA Brownfields loan made 

to an Indian community in the 

western states and the 

first loan made in the 

State of Nevada. 

continued • 
© Reno-Sparks Indian Colony; Kleinfelder 

NDEP’s EPA Brownfields RLF grant to address the petroleum and lead issues, completing the final 

phase of cleanup. Left behind from the former radiator repair shop, approximately 1,000 tons of leadcontaminated soil were removed. Since soil TPH levels were low or non-existent on another area of 

the site, the majority of the property that would be redeveloped 

as the parking lot was not remediated. Where soil would be 

disturbed for construction of the building or underground utilities, 

the contaminated soil was removed. This allowed the RSIC to 

pursue a risk-based closure through the NDEP. EPA Region 

9’s Underground Storage Tank Program assisted the RSIC in 

addressing the site’s petroleum contamination. At a cost of $1.2 

million to complete the remediation of the site, EPA, NDEP 

and Washoe County District Health Department issued No 

Further Action/Closure letters in October 2007. A final Report of 

Completion was prepared by Kleinfelder cleanup contractors in 

November 2007. Tribal Chairman Arlan Melendez, Governor 

Jim Gibbons, and Kleinfelder cleanup contractors 

The property will be redeveloped into Three Nations Plaza, the celebrate new partnerships. 

future home of a Wal-Mart Super Center. It is 

expected to generate much needed jobs and revenue for the community. The project 

will produce about $5-6 million in tax revenues a year, which will be used to 

repay the bonds for the new Tribal Health Center, fund a new restitution CONTACTS: center and enhance essential government services such as public safety, 

education, human services, and community development. The RSIC 

For more information contact will also use revenue from this project to help finance the newly U.S. EPA REGION 9 

(415) 972-3092	 constructed 65,000-square-foot Tribal Health Center, which serves 

more than 9,000 urban Native Americans living in the region. Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: 

www.epa.gov/brownfi elds/ As part of the revenue sharing agreement with the State of Nevada, 

a portion of the tax revenues will be used to support the local 

school district, where many members of the RSIC receive their 

education, and construct a new State Restitution Center. The current 

restitution center, which serves as a prison transition center for lowrisk, non-violent criminals is located adjacent to the new Wal-Mart site. 

The RSIC will use the tax revenues to build a new $8 million Northern 

Nevada Restitution Center for the Department of Corrections on the RSIC 

land near the current site. The new restitution center is expected to be completed by 2011 and will be 

the first center in the state to provide transitional services to women. The old restitution center will be 

redeveloped as a commercial and retail center for the RSIC members and citizens of Reno. Additionally, 

the Wal-Mart revenues will be used to support essential government services provided by the RSIC as 

well as assist with several other redevelopment projects planned by the RSIC. 

On August 21, 2008, the NDEP and the RSIC held an event to celebrate the cleanup of this property 

and the partnership formed among NDEP, EPA, and local partners. Among the attendees were Tribal 

Chairman Arlan Melendez and Governor Jim Gibbons. 

Wal-Mart, Washoe County, and the RSIC are working to construct a levy and flood wall on adjacent 

properties, which will be the fi rst regional flood control project built along the Truckee River totaling 

$3.6 million. These flood projects will start in January 2009, and Wal-Mart will break ground on its new 

building in the proceeding 90 days. 

Brownfields Success Story Solid Waste EPA 560-F-08-314 

Indian Colony Transforms Idle Property into a Community Benefit and Emergency November 2008 

Reno, Nevada Response (5105T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/