Developer hopes to buy historic hotel

Monday, July 26, 1999 | 11:28 a.m.

RENO -- A California developer who is bidding to buy the Ormsby House hotel-casino in Carson City says he also intends to try to purchase the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno.

"We're trying to do whatever we can to stop the wrecking ball for the Mapes," said Vincent Malfitano, who owns Skyline Crest Enterprises in Antioch, Calif.

"It would be an absolute tragedy if it was demolished. We'd love to restore it to its original splendor. There will only be one Mapes," he said.

Malfitano is a dentist as well as developer. He and other interested parties have until Aug. 13 to submit plans to refurbish or demolish the vacant 51-year-old downtown landmark. The city of Reno has advertised nationwide for bids for the riverside property.

Last summer, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Mapes one of the 11 most endangered historic places in America. The 12-story luxury resort has been vacant on the banks of the Truckee River since 1982.

The Art Deco structure built in 1947 was the first hotel in the country to feature gambling, dining, entertainment and luxury accommodations under one roof.

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