Kevin Clifford/Nevada Appeal The Ormsby House, as shown from the roof of 501 S. Carson St. The hotel was built in 1972 by the Laxalt family and was last closed in November of 2000.
Those who have driven down South Carson Street recently may have noticed the lack of work on the Ormsby House, Carson City's largest construction project.
That should change within a few months, according to Tom Metcalf, chief executive of Metcalf Builders, the principal contractor. He said they plan to have 50-100 workers back on the job.
"We're waiting on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings," he said. "We should be able to finish all the exteriors this summer, which includes the driveway and the parking lot."
What's lacking: a completion date. Don Lehr, a partner in Cubix Ormsby LLC, declined to give any clues to when the iconic hotel/casino will be completed. Interior work has halted while the builders wait to receive construction materials, he said.
"We are working on it diligently," Lehr said.
When completed, the Ormsby House will have seven-and-a-half floors of hotel rooms. The remaining two-and-a-half floors will be used for the casino.
The only exterior work remaining to be done is some roofing and installation of a pool enclosure, the principal contractor said Friday.
Construction and remodeling of the 84,000-square-foot hotel/casino began in 2001, but was interrupted by permitting problems and the threat by owners of a demolition in 2003. The city promised to put the construction permits on a fast track and construction has progressed steadily since.
Some have criticized the long duration of the construction, but Al Fiegehen has argued that the project is more complicated than what most people thought.
Fiegehen, a partner in the company that owns the Ormsby House, said designers are working on interior plans.
Clark Russell, president of Capital City Entertainment Inc., was general manager of the Ormsby House until 1985, when he sold his interest.
"What they've done to date with the exterior of the building looks really wonderful," Russell said. "I would hope that they complete it very soon because it would be the best thing in the world for the Carson Station to have the Ormsby House back up and running and bringing people into Carson City."
Ormsby House history
• The Ormsby House was built in 1972 by the Laxalt family. It passed through the hands of four other owners before being bought in 1999 by Allen Fiegehen and Don Lehr for $3.75 million.
• This is not the first time the doors have closed at the 10-story building in downtown Carson City. The Ormsby House closed in 1993 after going into bankruptcy. The doors weren't reopened until 1995. It was closed again in 1997, and closed the last time in November 2000.
• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.