Ormsby House likely to be retail/housing, Carson City supervisors told

The building permit for the Ormsby House is expiring after the owners of the downtown property withdrew their request for another extension.

“I just wanted to thank all of you for working with me over the last year or so. We have decided to not move forward with extending the building permit,” Kim Fiegehen, representing Don Lehr and Al Fiegehen, the building’s owners, told the Board of Supervisors on Thursday.

The property’s current building permit, issued in 2012, had been extended several times and was due to expire unless the board granted more time.

But Fiegehen said the current owners are finished paving outside and are done with work, and potential buyers are interested in changing the property’s use so they would need to acquire new permits to finish the interior.

“It is no use to us, there is nothing more we are going to do. And everyone we’re entertaining will be doing something different,” she said.

Fiegehen was at the meeting with Ted Stoever, senior vice president, Northern Nevada Land & Development Investment Services for Colliers International, the broker on the property.

Stoever said the property has garnered considerable interest.

“Most likely it is not going to be a hotel/casino as originally intended. It will be some sort of mix of retail and housing. We’ve had 46,000 views on our web site and have a dozen active interested buyers, but we’re being very meticulous in vetting them,” said Stoever. “We’ll see some action soon.”

Outside the meeting, Stoever said there have been three separate offers on the property, but each potential deal fell through. The first interested party, which Fiegehen and Stoever told the board about last September, ended up purchasing property in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center in Storey County instead, according to Stoever. The next two deals fell apart due to financing.

The supervisors voted to authorize grant applications for the purchase of 206 acres south of the Timberline subdivision and Vicee Canyon for open space and recreation.

The private property currently has interest from another buyer, according to staff.

“There is some urgency because there is an offer on the table,” said Ann Bollinger, open space administrator, Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

The property hasn’t been appraised, but a private buyer has made an offer of $450,000, she said.

The land would allow the city to connect trails along the west side and is used by Epic Rides for its Carson City Off-Road race.

“The current owner allows Epic Rides to use the property, a new owner might not,” said Bollinger.

The supervisors voted 4-1 to approve a master plan amendment to change the land use designation of about 112 acres off Highway 50 at the eastern edge of town. Supervisor John Barrette cast the no vote.

The designation will be changed from industrial to mixed-used residential which will allow a mix of residences and businesses. The property has an old landfill on it which is being remediated.

The board voted to abandon the right-of-way on Proctor Street between Nevada and Curry streets, which means the block reverts to the adjacent property owner, the Hop & Mae Adams Foundation.

The change was made with the condition 18 parking spaces be made available to the public.

Meeting as the Redevelopment Authority, the supervisors voted to allocate $220,000 in redevelopment funds, move $20,000 more and all of undesignated money at the end of the fiscal year to the renovation project inside the Bob Boldrick Theater, based on a recommendation from the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee.

Parks & Rec is planning an estimated $600,000, eight-week project to replace the theater’s seats, redo the floor, paint, and improve the acoustics, in December.