A Carson City casino's announcement of a $60 million expansion that could include a hotel with up to 200 rooms has city and tourism officials ecstatic.
Casino Fandango officials announced this week that they have purchased 30 acres on the west side of South Curry Street, directly west of their South Carson Street casino.
Plans for the site likely will include residential housing, an amphitheater and a retail center.
But the concept of a hotel with 100-200 rooms also is being explored, said casino general manager Steve Forester.
"All plans are tentative and subject to change, but they are doing their research on hotels right now," Forester said.
Candy Duncan, executive director of the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she is excited about the possibility of adding hotel rooms.
"Any time we can add more quality rooms, it's a big plus for us. All the time I hear, 'Oh, yeah, we spent the day in Carson City but not the night,'" Duncan said. "I believe that's because we don't have a lot of the kinds of properties that appeal to visitors. We do have them, but we don't have a lot of them."
Visitor's bureau numbers updated Thursday show Carson City, with a population of more than 55,000 and dozens of attractions and annual events, has only 1,357 rooms, she said.
"That's not a lot. The newest -- Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn -- only have 85 rooms each," she said. "Assuming that if they (Casino Fandango) build a hotel, it will have convention space and room service and all those things that are important to a good quality hotel, we have a lot to look forward to."
"It also means more room tax so we can better market Carson City and help pay for the reconstruction of the V&T (Railway)," she said.
Mayor Marv Teixeira also praised Casino Fandango's news.
"How could you not be excited? It's a huge investment. This (project) makes absolute sense, and I just couldn't be happier," Teixeira said. "You know, some people talk and some people do, and they are absolutely some of the best doers in this community."
Forester said Casino Fandango owners are considering single-family homes or triplexes to accompany the retail shops and amphitheater on the 30-acre site. Grading for 800 parking spaces has already started, he said.
Meanwhile, construction continues on a $5 million parking garage just south of the casino. The three-story project will provide 600 new and badly needed parking spaces and is expected to open in December, Forester said.
"That the principals are looking at this kind of strong expansion shows that they know what they're doing and that they understand the market," Carson City economic development director Joe McCarthy said. "They're sending a message that Carson City is a very viable place for quality entertainment and tourism-related projects."
Casino Fandango, owned by Las Vegas-based Carson Gaming, opened July 30, 2003.