A group of Nevadans has envisioned what's perhaps the perfect development for Carson City. Now comes the hard part.
The proposed $50 million Chinese Workers Museum of America, which would include a six-story glass "mountain" - on public land in east Carson City, would have 250,000 square feet of space. That's larger than the Wal-Mart in Carson City. Estimates are that it could draw a half-million visitors each year. The museum and developments around it could employ thousands of people and become, by some estimates, the largest destination resort in Northern Nevada.
Equally as important, the museum would be an ideal complement to one of the city's most important assets - its history.
The announcement is creating a buzz in the community, and that's justified. This is a project that all of Carson City should get behind. It could become the biggest thing ever to hit this community.
But before we push all of our emotional chips into the plan, we have just one thing to ask: Show us the money.
Lacking that, show us a logical plan for obtaining it. Will it come from Chinese-American groups? From China? From where?
While questions remain, there are several reasons for optimism. Those reasons are the people backing the project, each of whom has accomplished a great deal already.
Because of that, we can be assured it's not a fly-by-night operation.
So great is the vision for this project that skepticism seems warranted, however. History is full of examples of big dreams that went nowhere, dreams that instead became symbols of failure.
There is a saying that resonates with this project: "You must dream big dreams, for only big dreams have the power to move the minds of men."
We hope that, in this case, those dreams also have the power to move a lot of money.