Zanzibar Finally Demolished

Another little piece of Reno history is disappearing, though I doubt anyone will miss this one. The boarded up and crumbling derelict that was the Zanzibar Motel and Lounge is finally being demolished and hauled off, thanks in part to the efforts of Reno City Council member Sharon Zadra. The crumbling structures have stood empty for over five years, marring the scene directly across Virginia Street from the glitzy Peppermill Resort Casino. The Zanzibar was also a public safety hazard and the scene of three deaths of transients since it was shut down.

Demolition expenses are being paid by funds from the Reno Redevelopment Agency. The $50,000 will become a lien on the property, to be repaid when the land is sold.

This stretch of Virginia Street is becoming the wide open spaces. Just up the street at the corner of Plumb Lane, a huge vacant space now exists where the Park Lane Mall and recently demolished Gottschalks building once stood. I'm not looking for anything to happen until the economy turns around, which I'm pretty sure means we'll be driving by empty lots for some time.

Sources: City of Reno press release, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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