Bugsy Malone backers pull out as downtown contenders

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 10:27 a.m.

In a letter delivered Monday to the Reno Redevelopment Agency, Carlos Vasquez said he and his two partners removed their company from the list of three developers who had submitted proposals for the cleared Mapes Hotel block.

Vasquez, owner of a Reno public relations firm, said they didn't want to be involved "in the protracted political battle" over the fate of the city-owned block that has such "a strong emotional attachment to people."

"We want to build. We want to move forward," he said. "It has become obvious to our team that a project such as ours is not what the agency is looking for."

After receiving the letter, the City Council agreed Tuesday night to limit its search to the other two projects submitted, one proposed by Madison Development of Orange County, Calif., and the other by Holiday Hotel owner Barney Ng.

Ng, who controls a six-block development south of the Truckee River, has proposed a retail mall on the Mapes site. Madison Development wants to build a large plaza and shops, a small hotel-casino, restaurants and timeshare condominiums.

"Who knows how long this process will take?" Vasquez said. "It's like a moving target sometimes. We are looking to build and run a business."

The Reno City Council originally agreed to choose among the three developers on May 22 after receiving their proposals on May 1.

But in a 3-2 vote last week, the council agreed to reconsider that schedule and possibly solicit more bids or chart a specific course for the property, a cornerstone of the city's riverfront entertainment zone.

With the vote last week, Vasquez said Bugsy managing partners are ready to move on.

He said the group is now looking at four different sites for a casino project, including near the Sparks Marina Park, an area near the Las Vegas Strip, Indian gambling in California and in Reno outside of downtown.

The City Council on Tuesday also voted to hold an outdoor meeting next month for public comments.

"I don't want to get new developers," Mayor Jeff Griffin said. "I do want more community input."

The new plan calls for two rounds of citizen advisory board meetings and a "big-tent" outdoor public meeting on June 10 allowing anyone to offer input on what should be built and what it should look like.

The developer would be selected June 26.