Building Nevada - December 2001

Reno Tahoe Tech Center

Office Space for 21st Century Companies

by Linda Fine

"The Reno Tahoe Tech Center office campus will be head and shoulders above anything that exists in the nation today. It’s a technologically savvy office campus that will lure companies from throughout the region," said center developer Tom Hantges. Hantges, a Las Vegas resident since 1967, began developing real estate in the early 1980s. With his crew of associates and team members, he has spent countless hours formulating the basic design and components of the Reno Tahoe Tech Center (RTTC), located in Reno’s South Meadows Business Park.

Utilizing Tanamera Commercial Development in concert with Silicon Valley’s largest design-build contractor, Devcon Construction, RTTC took flight in May. Now, foundations have been laid at the 70-acre site for the buildings that will eventually house a well-planned 850,000-square-foot, Class A office campus, cited as the first true high-tech development in the northern part of the state. Besides a mix of restaurants, banks and limited retail outlets, the campus will feature one of the area’s largest co-location data centers. "This will make high-tech companies moving to Reno feel comfortable, because Reno can provide the support facilities they need," Hantges said.

David Dehls, an RTTC project consultant, noted that the campus is designed around the large RTTC Communications Co-Location Data Center, a business offering customers a secure facility to physically house their hardware and equipment, as opposed to locating it in their offices or warehouses where the potential for fire, theft, vandalism or connectivity problems is sometimes much greater. RTTC Communications offers 100 percent service and support with guaranteed uptime to the Internet every day, all year long, said Dehls. In addition, the company guarantees a facility designed with the widest range of physical security features available, including Kevlar walls, bullet-resistant doors and glass, biometric palm scanners and card readers. Video camera surveillance as well as state-of-the-art smoke detectors and fire suppression systems are also a part of the company’s commitment to its customers.

Today’s businesses are likely to consider security redundancy imperative for their voice, data and network service and facility needs, said Dehls. "The world evolves around the amount of bandwidth and the type of facilities to which your business has access. If you don’t have access to serviceable redundant facilities, then your business is vulnerable."

David LaPlante, chief strategy officer for Aztech Cyberspace, Inc., said people often think of a high-tech office park as suitable only for high-tech companies. "Any business that views network and data connectivity with the outside world — or even to its mother ship back east — as critical, benefits from a high-tech business park," LaPlante said. "Insurance, financial and medical records companies come to mind first. They need worldwide communications, 24/7, and no excuses for downtime. That’s the type of business that benefits."

The Telco Hotel, located in the same building as the RTTC Communications Co-Location Data Center, has been designed specifically for long-haul carriers needing redundant power, redundant fiber-optic capabilities, backup power availability and the ability of monitored security. Additionally, the building has been reinforced for second floor Telco load requirements. The roof system is designed to minimize any potential water penetration, and power has been provided for the special needs of this type of tenant.

"This development will be a landmark addition to Northern Nevada," said Michael Thomas, executive director of the Tech Alliance. "This center will continue to raise the bar for the local market. It will be a strong draw to attract tech businesses to the city of Reno in the years to come."