Carson City, NV – Residents of Nevada’s capital city are eager to see their downtown area come alive with the development of projects that bring the community together. However, in a series of meetings throughout 2025, Build2Win found there is little support for a proposal to build a hotel, convention center, parking garage and massive concrete plaza as proposed by the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation in February 2025.
Instead, residents favored small-scale, family-friendly attractions that reflect Carson City’s heritage while still providing a revenue stream for potential developers. Top-ranked ideas from residents who attended Build2Win workshops included:
- A public market modeled on Pike Place Market in Seattle, the Ferry Building in San Francisco, and Faneuil Hall in Boston.
- A Visitor/Historic Center to direct people to downtown attractions, like the Kit Carson Walk and McFadden Plaza, and nearby open space areas, like the River Walk and the C- Hill waterfall.
- A small events center to book weddings, family gatherings and other special celebrations. This could include a rooftop café and landscaped areas for photographs.
- A family-friendly activity area with possibilities including ice/skating rinks, a miniature golf course, a rock-climbing wall, etc.The Build2Win report details the past history of proposals by the Foundation for the 12-block area bounded by North Carson, East Robinson, North Stewart and East Musser streets. It focuses on what was labeled Phase 2 in the Foundation’s proposal (a convention center, hotel and plaza). At the time of its unveiling at the February Board of Supervisors retreat last February, the three- phase Foundation proposal included a new city hall, two hotels, a parking garage funded by parking fees, a convention center, a large concrete plaza, and renovation of the Nugget Casino.
In addition to summarizing goals put forth by residents in public meetings conducted by Build2Win, the report makes three important points:
- The Hop and Mae Adams Foundation is a charitable trust that has been characterized as existing to benefit the Carson City and its residents. Unlike a private developer with no obligation to the public, its primary goal is not simply maximizing profits from its investments.
- During its public meetings, Build2Win directed residents to focus on financially feasible projects. Choices preferred by residents could be operated by vendors at a profit without any financial involvement by Carson City or taxes for residents.
- While emphasizing positive alternatives to the Foundation’s original proposal, the Build2Win report also includes important data about hotel occupancy rates, current meeting space availability and convention center realities, as well as projected future growth rates for Carson City. This data provides a different perspective on arguments that the city “needs” another hotel, a convention center and/or more meeting space for local groups.
The full report can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FTkDXIJwYLgys4qAXTQzubZAOYoHYd2w/view? usp=sharing
It can also be accessed at www.build2win.org by clicking on the Did You Know tab at the top, selecting the Residents’ Choice: Town Hall Reimagined report cover, and then clicking on the link immediately below the cover picture.
Build2Win is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about Carson City social and civic concerns so residents can have a strong, informed voice in protecting our quality of life.
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