Carson Nugget close to sale

The Carson Nugget has a letter of intent from developers who want to buy the downtown casino and allow the current owners to manage it as a nonprofit charitable foundation, according Nugget Gaming Director Mark Kruspe.

Developers also could add a hotel, parking garage, convention center and retail shops near the oldest casino in the city, Kruspe told the Carson City Republican Central Committee on Thursday night.

Managers at the 54-year-old casino announced last month the casino could be sold, but they have not named the potential new owner. They did say that the Adams family, which bought what is now an 80,000-square-foot casino in the 1950s, will run the nonprofit.

Kruspe said the family is selling the casino and setting it up as a nonprofit to improve the city and its downtown.

"It's a beautiful place now," he said, "but we are the state capital of Nevada and it could be much better."

The development will happen in spite of the bad economy, Kruspe said, but work has been slowed.

The audience asked several questions about how the nonprofit would operate: Will the city lose tax revenue because of the nonprofit? Where is the money from the nonprofit going? When will more details come out?

Kruspe said he didn't think local taxes would be affected; that the money from the nonprofit will be directed by the Adams family; and the city will get more details "soon."

The Nugget, he said, doesn't expect any resistance from the city government on the plans, which will help the city bring in more jobs through construction.

Joe DiLonardo, a member of the Republican committee, said the Nugget has supported a lot of organizations in the city and he's looking forward to the expansion, especially the new hotel.

He called the Nugget "an integral part of the city."

Dennis Johnson, who ran for the Carson City Board of Supervisors this year, said at the meeting that the expansion would be good for the city, but he's worried how it will be involved with redevelopment.

"It depends on whether the taxpayer is getting the shaft for it," he said.

The city needs to be careful how it spends money and uses eminent domain, he said, especially if redevelopment employees are involved.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.