New gay nightclub set to replace the vacant Tronix in Reno

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Food openings flourished in the past year with Korean, downtown vegan, poke everywhere and more. Johnathan L. Wright/RGJ

A California-based gay bar and nightclub company filed a permit with the city of Reno to rebuild Tronix Video Music Club into the new Splash Video Dance Bar. 

Tronix opened 14 years ago on Kietzke Lane and Mill Street then closed in 2015. People still talk about the parties and relationships started there. At the time, Splash was prepared to take over the bar, but was delayed due to the new ownership's family loss, according to a letter to the city.

This month, Splash renewed its permit to move forward with reopening the bar and nightclub. Splash already created some Reno social media accounts and website. It has operated locations in San Jose and Portland for 20 years, according to a letter to the city.

The RGJ reached out to the new bar owners but has not received an immediate call back.

Tronix, previously called Neutron and Visions, operated as a nightclub since 1967 and closed in 2015 in large part due to its lack of separation between under-21 section and over 21-section, according to interviews in Therenogaypage.com at the time. The former owners also told Therenogaypage in 2015 that the LGBTQ community's ongoing acceptance and integration into other spaces started to make gay bars obsolete. 

Splash does not plan to change the building or site layout dramatically, according to the special use permit application. Their other locations advertise weekly parties, drag shows and ladies nights.

Mike Higdon is the city life reporter at the RGJ and can be found on Instagram @MillennialMike, on Facebook at Mike Higdon, Reno Life and on Twitter @MikeHigdon.