Historic preservationists sue in last-ditch effort to save Mapes

Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999 | 2:02 a.m.

Members of the Truckee Meadows Heritage Trust want a judge to block the old hotel-casino's date with a wrecking ball on Super Bowl Sunday.

The lawsuit filed in Washoe District Court on Wednesday accuses the city council of violating the open meetings law when it approved the demolition for the end of January.

The Mapes has been sitting vacant on the banks of the Truckee River since 1982. It was the first hotel in the nation to have a casino and entertainment under one roof when it was opened in 1947.

Toni Harsh, Jon Dewey, Rosemary DiGrazia and Nanna Rassu filed the lawsuit. They said city officials met privately in small groups and decided the fate of the Mapes before the Sept. 13 council meeting, and failed to disclose that a $1 million fund transfer would be used for demolition.

In addition, they claim city council members chased away potential developers with a tight timeline for submitting proposals on the Mapes and with an 'onerous' $100,000 application fee.

Deputy City Attorney Mike Halley said he would have to review the lawsuit before commenting.

"I am making the city council and the city manager aware of it," said Lois Butler, redevelopment administrator.