Reno, as a whole, has been going through a big transformation in the last few years.

We can thank people like Dr. Murray Rosenthal for this positive transition we have been seeing in the community.

Recently, an uninhabitable motel on Mill St. across from Renown was bought and flipped. It’s incredible to see that uplifting changes are being made to areas that have had a bad reputation in the past years. The news gets even better. The motel that now consists of 20 units that are each 320 sq. ft. were built especially to target homeless veterans here in Reno and each made for single occupancy.

Photo Courtesy of Ben Deach, KOLO.

New residents have started to move in.

A man named Curtis Thomas is the first person to have the honor of picking a new unit to reside in. Thomas and other veterans will be able to move in with the help of the HUD-VASH program. Along with housing, they also offer employment training, mental health services and health care to our veterans in need.

This weekly motel was considered blighted before it was touched by Dr. Rosenthal and Mountain Group Property Development. Doctor Rosenthal’s wife described it as a “crime scene.” He and his team moved in and made a miracle happen in less than 100 days. The entire project was privately funded and cost Rosenthal $1.5 million. He found ways to save some money by using discounted materials from local stores like Home Depot and Sears.

Photo Courtesy of Rick Sullivan and RGJ.

“When you’re homeless, it destroys your sense of self… Building community helps to build confidence,” said Rosenthal. He has always done his part to help out the community and will continue to do so.

Projects such as these help to create a stronger and more secure community.

We will see less drug use in older motels, and we will see less homeless people on the streets; specifically veterans. Veterans and mental illness are sometimes overlooked in our community, but people like Dr. Rosenthal are making a big difference. Reno is lucky to have people like him in its community. To find out more and to see how you can help, please visit Building Homes for Heroes.

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