Partners of the Riverwood commercial center in North Douglas County are attempting to auction off roughly 16 acres of land owned by actor Max Baer Jr.'s development company, according to the Douglas County Recorder's Office.
According to a notice of trustee's sale, Max Baer Productions, LTD., owes an estimated $572,221 under a deed of trust dated Oct. 29, 2007.
On Tuesday, "The Beverly Hillbillies" star said the matter was "in the hands of the attorneys now" and declined to comment further.
Baer is the progenitor of the Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino planned for the east side of the stalled Riverwood shopping center, the developers of which have a $24.7 million redevelopment agreement with Douglas County.
The proposed 270,000-square-foot hotel/casino was approved by county commissioners in 2007 with a zoning change from general commercial to tourist commercial and a gaming overlay for unrestricted gambling.
Since then, the casino has run into more than one obstacle, including a lawsuit by residential developer Big George Ventures.
Delay of the Riverwood center also has resulted in a lack of infrastructure to the casino site, which is situated 1,100 feet from Highway 395.
Since the early 1990s, Baer has attempted to build his casino in other locations, including Lake Tahoe, Park Lane Mall in Reno and the old Walmart building in south Carson City.
According to the Douglas County Assessor's Web site, Jethro's Beverly Hillbilly Development owns three parcels of land, totaling about 24 acres, between Topsy Lane and North Sunridge Drive.
A public auction of the said 16 acres is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the entrance to the county administrative building, 1616 Eighth Street, Minden.
n Scott Neuffer can be reached at sneuffer@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 217.
