Tesla is coming (probably)… But if they don’t it’s going to be ok!

All the talk and buzz in Northern Nevada has been the anticipated announcement of the Tesla Gigafactory, which will be the largest development in the country. Tesla has been coy about the eventual destination, but did finally offer some clarity in their shareholder letter sent out on July 31, confirming that they have in fact broken ground in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. However, from day one Tesla has said that they will pursue numerous locations, and there is still a chance that they will not choose Northern Nevada as their final destination. With the anticipation and excitement regarding this announcement, there will surely be great disappointment and anguish if they do not choose to building in Northern Nevada, but that should not be the case.

Don’t get me wrong, I would definitely prefer that we win the award. However, just the fact that we are in this race, that Tesla Motors chose Reno, Nevada as a finalist for their gigafactory is a win in itself. This is national news, seen on hundreds of publications nationwide, and in every article our little town gets free publicity as being a great location to do business. We should be thanking Tesla for delaying their decision because it is building more anticipation, which leads to more discussions and publicity. This in turn results in even more awareness about how great Reno is for business. Other companies will look at Tesla’s considerations and take notice. Site selectors will make sure that Reno is at least on the initial list for potential locations.

Also, we can’t discount the large amount of Industrial real estate that is being leased and the new construction that is happening with or without Tesla coming… The Reno economy is back, and with or without Tesla there are plenty of reasons to be excited and celebrate.

Please feel free to share your comments below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions about the potential of Tesla’s gigafactory in Reno.