Carson City plan calls for downtown technology center
Because of a hefty contribution from the trust of a late co-owner of the Carson Nugget, Carson City officials are embarking on a plan to turn eight acres of parking lots around the casino into a downtown technology plaza to attract entrepreneurial companies to Nevada’s capital city.
The efforts to revitalize Carson City’s downtown would include a knowledge center and discovery library, digital media lab plus a business/technology incubator center, Mayor Bob Crowell said.
Plans also call for an IMAX theater, retail and office space, public plaza plus an underground and above-ground parking garage. The state workers parking lot north of the Nevada State Capitol also would be used for the project.
The goals are to attract a highly-educated workforce and give Carson City’s home-grown talent a reason to remain.
“We are looking at Carson City as a cross between the arts and culture of Los Angeles and the technology of Silicon Valley, with the ability of situating a business in a state capital with a pretty good quality of life,” Crowell said.
Local businesses in the downtown area were receptive to the redevelopment plan.
“What this does is really ignite our community,” said Karen Abowd, co-owner of Adele’s restaurant. “It would give us an economic boost which is very much needed.” Read full story:
