With all three members of the board expressing enthusiasm for the plan, owners of Stew's Sportatorium at the Lucky Spur won support for a gaming license permitting up to 50 slot machines.
Longtime Carson City businessman Robert Stewart told the board he hopes to open in late September-early October with gambling, a restaurant, brew pub and gaming area for youngsters in the rear. James Stewart will file for a license as general manager in the near future.
The board recommendation now goes to the Gaming Commission which makes the final decision.
Once that body approves, company attorney Mark Amodei told the board, it will be the first time in nearly 30 years the lights have been on in the Lucky Spur. He and Stewart said Carson City officials, who have long complained the Spur was an eyesore and dark blot on downtown redevelopment, have strongly supported the project.
Stewart, who will run Stew's along with his sons Michael and James, said they have put a total of $1.6 million into completely renovating the historic casino at North Carson and Proctor streets.
"The outside of the building was in good shape," Stewart told the board. "The inside we gutted out."
Now, he said, renovations are nearing completion, they have a brewmaster lined up along with a chef and the rest of the management team.
"It's a very interesting application," said Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander. He said they had done an excellent job designing the interior to separate the games area open to teens from the gambling area.
The restaurant and brew pub are in between.
He said the application was helped by Stewart's solid and clean reputation in the community. He has operated a plumbing business in western Nevada for some 38 years.
"It's an exciting project for Carson City," said Neilander.
He was joined by the other two board members, Scott Sherer and Bobby Siller who also expressed confidence in the project.
The project qualifies for an unlimited gaming license despite the Carson City ordinance requiring unlimited casinos to have at least 100 hotel rooms because it, along with several other longtime establishments, was given a grandfather exemption from that rule.
Stewart said they will begin with 20 gambling machines. But the board authorized them to increase to as many as 50 once the business is up and running. If they want to expand beyond that, they must file for permission from the board.
He said the restaurant will aim for a solid luncheon traffic during the day but switch to a "bit more upscale" menu at night. It can seat up to 110.
The brew pub will have the second largest capacity for making beer in the state - behind the pub in Reno's El Dorado and just ahead of Great Basin in Sparks. Michael Stewart said they regard the pub as a key attraction and plan to offer high-quality beers.
A key feature of the games arcade area will be a slot-car race track, which Neilander said might attract a significant number of adults - including a number of Gaming employees who are enthusiasts.
The project will come before the Gaming Commission Aug. 26.
Contact Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.
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