Hoover Dam Lodge

History

Gold Strike

The property was originally a patented mining claim owned by Las Vegas real estate developer Patrick Sullivan, who was seeking gold and turquoise. It became known as Sullivan's Gulch. In the 1920s, the Bureau of Reclamation withdrew over a million acres of land for the creation of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, but overlooked Sullivan's land. The National Park Service (NPS) made attempts to buy the land as early as 1936.

In 1954, Sullivan's heirs sold the property for $20,000 to Boulder City businessman Don Belding, his business partner, O. L. Raney, and Jack Richardson. They saw an opportunity to service drivers going to and from the dam, and little competition because Boulder City prohibited gambling. They opened the Gold Strike Inn in May 1958 with a snack bar, gift shop, cocktail lounge, service station, and six slot machines.

In the 1960s, the partners leased the site to a developer that hoped to expand it as an Old West theme park. The name was changed to Fort Lucinda and attractions such as llama rides, a wax museum, and a narrow gauge railroad were added. The project was killed by financing and water supply problems, control reverted to Belding, Raney, and Richardson, and the Gold Strike name returned.

The NPS tried again to acquire the land in 1964, prior to the creation of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. A court settlement was eventually reached in 1973, with the government buying 87 undeveloped acres of the property and agreeing not to discuss any further sale unless first approached by the Gold Strike's owners.

In 1977, Belding and Richardson sold their shares to their sons, Dave and Bill, and Raney sold his interest to Circus Circus executive Mike Ensign. An 80-room hotel was opened in 1982, with another 80 rooms added in 1986, and a 16-story hotel tower in 1994.

On June 16, 1998, an accidental fire started by a construction worker destroyed the Gold Strike casino, while leaving the hotel tower mostly undamaged.

Hacienda

The property was reopened in November 1999, at a cost of $30 million. A name change had already been planned, because the Gold Strike name had been sold to Circus Circus, so the property was renamed as the Hacienda. The Hacienda name was itself licensed from Circus Circus, which had owned the demolished Hacienda casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

After several developers showed interest in buying the property to build a residential neighborhood or high-rise timeshare tower, the owners approached the NPS in 2003 with their willingness to consider an offer. The Secretary of Interior allocated up to $20 million for a purchase. The owners ultimately decided not to sell the Hacienda because they were uncertain about their ability to find new jobs for the employees if the property were to close.

In December 2013, Nevada Restaurant Services, parent company of the statewide chain of Dotty's slot parlors, purchased the Hacienda. The company announced plans to renovate the property and build a new gas station and convenience store.

Hoover Dam Lodge

The property was renamed to Hoover Dam Lodge in January 2015.

References

References

1. Steven Slivka. (January 16, 2015). "Boulder City casino resurrected as Hoover Dam Lodge". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
2. "Report of Locations". Nevada Gaming Control Board.
3. "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage". Nevada Gaming Control Board.
4. "Nonrestricted Count Report". Nevada Gaming Control Board.
5. Ferrence, Cheryl. (2008). "Around Boulder City". Arcadia Publishing.
6. Berns, Dave. (June 17, 1998). "Casino's claim on area's history not forgotten". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
7. Couzens, Fred. (August 20, 2004). "Hacienda Hotel purchase a big deal for Lake Mead". Henderson View.
8. Packer, Adrianne. (June 16, 1998). "Overlooked parcel of land led to claim on Gold Strike". Las Vegas Sun.
9. Koch, Ed. (4 February 2003). "Obituary for Ruth Doolittle Belding". Las Vegas Sun Newspaper.
10. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140201225834/http://www.steamlocomotive.com/lists/searchdb.php?str=Hacienda&country=USA Surviving Steam Locomotive Search]
11. Velotta, Richard. (September 8, 2004). "Owners end negotiations to sell Hacienda to NPS". Las Vegas Sun.
12. O'Connell, Peter. (18 January 1999). "Hacienda reborn from ashes of June's Gold Strike casino fire". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
13. Berns, Dave. (15 November 1999). "Gaming Chips: Hacienda owner bafflingly mum about retooled property". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
14. By. (1995-03-21). "CIRCUS CIRCUS STRIKES GOLD DEAL".
15. Brean, Henry. (February 16, 2004). "BLM wants casino to cash out". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
16. Benston, Liz. (October 28, 2003). "Park Service studying Hacienda casino purchase". Las Vegas Sun.
17. (8 September 2004). "Owners end negotiations to sell Hacienda to NPS". Las Vegas Sun.
18. Alan Snel. (December 26, 2013). "Sale of Hacienda finalized". Boulder City Review.
19. Howard Stutz. (August 6, 2013). "Hacienda ownership confirms sale to Dotty's operators". Las Vegas Review-Journal.