The grande dame of Reno casino's, the Mapes Hotel, may be
demolished in Feb. 2000 -- see article below for some historic
information. Will be a sad day, but probably inevitable.
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Historic Casino Faces Demolition

September 24, 1999

RENO, NEV. - The Associated Press via NewsEdge
Corporation : The National Trust for Historic
Preservation has not lost a major fight for a structure
since it started listing the most endangered buildings
and places in America in 1988.

But a demolition date for one of the most historic
casinos, the Mapes Hotel in Reno, and fading hopes
for Tiger Stadium in Detroit, one of the oldest major
league ballparks, have the nonprofit group's leaders
fearing the worst.

``We've never lost one on our list and now we have
two that are at very great risk,'' said Richard Moe,
president of the 50-year-old national trust based in
Washington, D.C. ``I suppose it was inevitable we'd
lose one at some point.''

The Mapes, a 12-story brick building built in 1947 on
the banks of the Truckee River, was the first in the
nation to house a hotel, a casino and other
entertainment under one roof. Its art deco style
earned it a listing on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1984.

During its heyday in the '50s and '60s, entertainers
such as Sammy Davis Jr., Mae West and the Marx
Brothers headlined there. But since 1982, the Mapes
has sat boarded up and vacant, much to the chagrin
of city officials who view the property as key to the
city's downtown redevelopment.

Local preservationists have fought three years to save
the Mapes. They suffered their biggest setback earlier
this month when the City Council approved a $1
million contract to demolish the building in February.

``This would be a tragic loss not just for Reno but to
the country. It is a very significant building,'' Moe
said.