Developer seeks permit extension

Developers of what would be one of the largest hotel-casinos in Carson City say the economy has forced them to take more time to design and build their project.

Las Vegas-based Golden Gaming Inc. says it needs until fall 2012 to get a permit to build the $100 million Sierra Gold on 4.5 acres at the corner of Highway 50 East and the Carson City freeway off-ramp.

The company has until September to get a building permit for the planned eight-story, 100,000-square-foot casino and 220-room hotel.

"Given the current macroeconomic and lending environments, Golden would like to have more time to allow the financial markets to stabilize, the site to mature and the interstate to be completed," the company said in a statement. "We continue to believe that this location is one of the best commercial sites in Northern Nevada."

The city planning commission is scheduled to look at the request Feb. 25. The board of supervisors would have to approve the commission's recommendation.

The Sierra Gold hotel-casino requires more advance design and permitting than other casino projects built recently, said Michael Alonso, an attorney for Golden Gaming.

The city needs to realize the hotel-casino is a major project, he said, and to give it the time it needs.

"They should give a proven developer the time to develop the project that Carson City wants," he said.

City Planning Director Lee Plemel said the city hasn't see a project of this magnitude in a long time. The project will require a lot of work, he said.

The project was approved in September. A few residents near the proposed site complained that it would cause more traffic, noise and crime in their neighborhood.

The hotel-casino will be built in two phases and eventually have about 1,000 workers, Golden Gaming has said.

Golden Gaming runs casinos in Colorado and Pahrump and taverns throughout the state, including Sparky's in Carson City.

The Las Vegas-based design firm, Steelman Partners, also working on the project has helped build casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Chicago, Moscow and China.

The space will hold restaurants, a 750-space parking garage and 13,000 square feet of conference space.

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