Feasibility study supports hotel, events center in downtown project

Organizers for the Carson City Center Project say a feasibility study supports constructing a 125-room hotel and 5,000 square feet of convention space behind the Carson Nugget.

Jeroen Gerrese, the president of Sacramento-based P3 Development, said PKF Consulting USA recently conducted the study, which suggests Nevada's state capital could compete for small to medium-sized conventions that currently go to Reno and Las Vegas. The study was not available for review by the Nevada Appeal, but is expected to be detailed to city officials and the citizens advisory committee next month.

Gerrese said there are also plans to renovate the meeting rooms inside the Carson Nugget.

"It's dated and it feels dated and it operates dated," he said.

Besides the hotel and events center, the $87 million project includes the construction of a public library, retail and office centers, public plaza and a parking garage on about eight acres behind the Carson Nugget.

The proposed library, which includes digital media labs, would be partially funded by the city through a

1⁄8-cent sales tax increase. The city would enter into a 30-year lease-to-own agreement for the library.

Steve Neighbors, president of the Carson Nugget and sole trustee of the Hop and Mae Adams Trust, said the rest of the project would be privately financed, including the hotel and events center. He said the feasibility study determined there would be enough demand for an events center in Carson City.

"We identified roughly 100-plus small conventions that we could bring to Carson City that are currently going to Reno, Las Vegas and elsewhere," Neighbors said. "That's part of the plan for the sustainability of Carson City."

City Manager Larry Werner said the hotel and event center proposal was brought to his office two weeks ago by the project developers. He said the feasibility report was discussed, but financing for the events center was still in question during the conversation, which he described as ongoing.

"We haven't taken it to the next step," Werner said. "The library discussion with the 1⁄8-cent sales tax, do we use public funds to fund a portion of the events center? We're still having that dialogue."

Mark Lewis, a consultant working with Neighbors on the project, said public support is often lent to events centers, which in turn bring outside business to the community.

But whether the events center in Carson City would need public help is still unknown.

"At this point we don't know if any assistance is going to be needed," Lewis said. "We won't know that until we get the final numbers out and I'm hoping that we won't need any."

He said the Carson Nugget would be able to provide amenities to support the convention center, such as its kitchen.

Lewis said the events center's vicinity to the state Capitol would prove a boon to attracting organizations that often work with state government looking for meeting space in Carson City.

"And this would literally put them a block or two away from the governor's office," he said. "So that's the goal. I'm not sure yet if it's feasible. PKF says it is."