Ground broken on Carson City’s first mixed-use project

Construction starts soon on downtown Carson City’s first major mixed-use project.

The trustees of the Hop & Mae Adams Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday at 308 North Curry St., the tentative name of the foundation’s retail, commercial and residential project expected to be completed in October 2017.

“This is a wonderful way to kick off solid mixed-use development. We couldn’t do all of this without the Hop & Mae Adams Foundation,” said Mayor Bob Crowell who attended the groundbreaking. “This will move us forward without losing our history.”

The project, designed by Carson City architect Robert Darney, will include 10,300 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor, 11,400 square feet of Class A office space on the second floor, and eight 1,000-2,100 square foot apartments on the third floor.

Another two apartments and 10 garages for the residents will be located in two smaller buildings on site.

The project replaces the Citibank building, which was torn down because it was unsafe to remodel. That 1960s-era structure replaced what was called the Governor’s house, built in 1862 for J. Neely Johnson, a former governor of California.

A plaque commemorating the original home was taken from the Citibank building before it was demolished and will be placed on the new building.

Also remaining from the bank building is a basement, which will be left intact and likely used for storage by a restaurant tenant expected to anchor the south end of the project located in the square block of Curry, Nevada, Proctor and Telegraph streets.

Metcalf Builders Inc. will place a safety fence within a week and begin a two- to three-week excavation of the site, said Steve Neighbors, who is one of the foundation’s trustees along with Ed Ahrens and Chris MacKenzie.

“If we were doing this from purely a financial perspective, we would do all apartments,” said Neighbors, when asked about the need for housing downtown.

But he said a goal of the project is to demonstrate the mixed-use project concept.

“We want to test that out and show the community the way to do it right,” said Neighbors.