On March 7, 2022, the City received the Land Patent from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management for 84 of the 175 acres which the city has held under a Recreation and Public Purpose (R&PP) lease since 2005.  The 2005 lease was initiated after the city completed its City Center Downtown Master Plan in 2001 which identified said property for creation of the City Center and Downtown area. 

Since 2005 with the R&PP lease in place, the city has steadily progressed in developing components of the plan including the Wendover Will city center monument, construction of City Hall, creation of the Victory Highway Historic Interpretive Walking Trail as well as several infrastructure, street and beautification projects associated with N. Gene L. Jones Way, Pueblo Boulevard and Wendover Boulevard. 

Though the land patent process for the 84 acres has taken many years to complete it was a vital step in ensuring that as the downtown was created, private developments could take place on the property which would normally be prohibited under an R&PP lease.  With the land patent now held by the city, it provides the city with full legal right and ownership to the property for developments including civic as well as commercial and residential.  The city will maintain the remaining 91 acres in an R&PP lease for now.

On March 10^th, the Downtown Infrastructure Phase 1 Project is going out for rebid with bids closing on April 20^th.  This project will create the street and related infrastructure for developments to begin in the city’s newly established Downtown.

As well, the city is completing the design build contracts with CORE Construction out of Reno, Nevada for the new West Wendover Fire Station that will be located in the city center area just west of City Hall.   Design on the new Fire Station is scheduled to be complete in several months with construction to begin mid-summer.

When asked about the Land Patent, Mayor Corona said, "This is an exciting milestone for the city that will allow us to continue forward progress on the development of the Downtown.  I am grateful to City manager Chris Melville and the BLM Staff who have worked for a number of years to make the city's acquisition of this land happen."

The Downtown Infrastructure Phase 1 and the new Fire Station projects total over $15 million in new infrastructure and facility investments for our growing community.  Nevada CDBG, USDA Rural Development, the U.S. Economic Development Agency and Nevada Gold Mines have all been funding partners with the city in getting these projects underway.