Letter: They Closed Downtown
To Whom It May Concern,
Well congratulations to the CCCVB. They certainly filled a bunch of hotel rooms this weekend. They also almost completely shut downtown. That’s right, they shut it down. I have been a redevelopment advocate of downtown for almost thirty years and was instrumental in starting up downtown events back in the eighties and nineties. But when we held them we made sure people could come downtown as part of the event.
Not CCCVB. They shut it down. Six whole blocks (maybe seven) of Curry Street access and parking closed down. Whole sections of the downtown area including several parking lots shut down. That’s right, the problem with the event was, you couldn’t get there from here (unless you were on a bike).
Why is it you need to close six blocks of Currt Street four a race course that crosses the street at two intersections... (TWO)! My business was off by over half. We practically lost a whole weekend of business and that makes it real hard to make a payroll.
And I am one of only several businesses I spoke with. When I ran Cactus Jacks a good headcount on Saturday afternoon was in the 70’s or 80’s, even over 100 with a street event. This Saturday at around 2 PM I counted maybe 20 people.
Other than the area in front of the capital it looked like the town had been evacuated. Several people contacted us at Carson Cigar to say they weren't coming down because, well, we just can't get there.
So thank you CCCVB and Carson City for holding an event that nobody could get to, or around, or through. I know you're charge is to fill hotel rooms, but that doesn't give you the right to shut down whole sections of the city. If you do this again let me know so we can shut down, leave town, and go camping. It reminds me of the old adage “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
Steve Browne
Carson City, Nev.