Porticochere removal hits snag

Removal of the portecochere in front of the Ormsby House, scheduled for around midnight on Monday, was delayed until Tuesday evening.

"It took a little longer than we thought to get prepped and ready to go. Things should go faster tonight," said Tom Metcalf of Metcalf Builders Inc. "Safety supersedes everything, and we want to be cautious."

Carson Street was to be closed for a short time about 9 p.m. The closure was to primarily involve the southbound lanes.

A huge crane was brought in Monday night to remove the Ormsby House portecochere, the structure extending over the building's Carson Street driveway.

The giant structure was to be moved to the Ormsby's southern parking lot, where it will be dismantled and removed.

The main entrance, complete with another portecochere, will stand on the south end of the building when the reconstruction project is complete.

Metcalf Builders, Inc. is handling the reconstruction, which includes expansion of the casino and hotel building to the south.

Included in the plans is the Winchester Club, currently part of Ormsby House's parking garage. Plans call for about 125 more slot machines and a theme centered around a Winchester rifle collection.

Some of the rooms are being converted into suites by combining two into one, reducing the total number of rooms from 200 to 127.

Built in 1972 by the Laxalt family, Ormsby House has had troubled times for most of its existence, except for the 10 years it was owned by Woody Loftin, who died in 1986.

The owners of local manufacturer Cubix Corp. bought the property in September 1997.