The Reno City Council approved a key land use change Wednesday that could allow Station Casinos to double the size of the entertainment center it plans to build in south Reno.

Technically, the council changed the land use designation of a 12-acre parcel on South Virginia Street that is home to a couple of abandoned big box retail stores and an Applebee's from mixed use to tourism commercial. The owner of the property, Fire Creek Crossing, applied for the land use change, not Station Casinos.

But the parcel is next door to the long-vacant dirt lot owned by the Las Vegas-based gaming company, which is planning to build an 89,500-square foot casino entertainment center there.

Andy Durling, a land use consultant with Wood Rodgers who spoke at Wednesday's meeting, represents both Fire Creek Crossing and Station Casinos. The gaming company's Reno lobbyist Michael Alonso also was present for the council vote.

But when asked directly by Councilwoman Jenny Brekhus whether Station Casinos was involved in the petition for the new zoning, Durling denied that Station is behind the request.

"This request is on behalf of the property owner (Fire Creek Crossing)," During said.

"There is definitely an interest in what happens today on behalf of Station Casinos," he added.

Durling said he didn't know whether Station Casinos has an option to buy the property from Fire Creek Crossing.

Durling's application for the land use change does not describe any specific project planned for the site.

Station Casinos owns the property just east of the retail parcel and has long been planning a casino there. The latest plan publicly discussed by Station Casinos is a nearly 90,000-square-foot building, with 20,908 square feet devoted to gaming, including a sportsbook and sports bar flanked by large LED displays and mobile wagering kiosks.

The center will also include a five-screen cinema and 12-lane bowling alley. Additional amenities include four restaurants and 347 parking spaces.

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Earlier plans for the casino, prior to the recession, included a 500-room hotel tower, but a Station Casinos executive said last year that such a hotel tower is no longer "economically feasible."

When council members approved the latest project in November, some bemoaned the lack of hotel rooms. Councilwoman Naomi Duerr said she hopes the new land use change could lead to the hotel rooms being built after all.

Station Casinos' spokeswoman Lori Nelson wasn't immediately available for comment on the change.

Brekhus was the only council member to vote against the land use change, citing concerns about the spread of gaming and the fact that Station Casinos has kept a valuable piece of real estate empty for more than a decade.

"We have extreme pressure to diversify our economy from old economic uses and we have a huge housing demand," she said. "I'm concerned the staggering of these developer requests is going to this keep this property vacant for another 10 years."

Brekhus said the city would be better served with a multi-family residential project on the land.

Councilman Paul McKenzie, however, said the area is in sore need of revitalization now.

"This to me, is pretty evident that that particular site is not panning out as a retail site anymore," McKenzie said. "Giving the opportunity through some master plan changes to do something else and revitalize that area is important for that area of town."