Cashells buys Topaz Lodge

Bob Cashell and his son, Rob, are adding another gaming establishment to their list with the purchase this week of the Topaz Lodge at Topaz Lake.

A closing price for the purchase was not revealed and escrow has not yet closed. The Cashells, under the Cashell Enterprises corporate name, applied for a gaming license Thursday.

The company also owns the Alamo Travel Center in Sparks.

"It's a prime market, being on Highway 395," Rob said Thursday of the Topaz Lodge. "Tons of people make their way past there, especially in the spring and summer. It's on the way to Yosemite and Bishop - an excellent recreation area."

Bob Cashell, former Nevada lieutenant governor, will likely operate the casino once the transaction is complete. The Cashells cannot run the casino operation until they are licensed by Nevada's Gaming Control Board, a process that will likely take three to four months, an official said.

The purchase includes a well-rounded variety of properties, including:

- 104-room hotel

- 60-space RV park

- gas station

- convenience store

- full casino with machines and tables

- coffee house, steak house and buffet

The only casino competition in the lake area is Ed's Topaz Nugget.

Bob said owners Roger Elton and Jay Page approached them earlier this year about the possibility of buying the property. The partners have owned the businesses since the early 1980s. The Topaz Lodge was erected in the 1950s.

"It's been a full-service lodge for awhile and we feel good about the purchase," Bob said. "The lodge has a good reputation. We intend to keep the name."

In Carson City, Bob Cashell was instrumental in bringing the Ormsby House out of bankruptcy after taking over from former owner Barry Silverton. He stayed on, running the operation when Al Fiegehen and Don Lehr, owners of Cubix Corp., bought it in 1997.

The Ormsby House will be closed until mid-2001 for a $10-$13 million renovation that its operators say will affect every square inch of the building.

The Topaz Lodge, divided into seven parcels, has a total assessed value of $2.3 million, according to the Douglas County Assessor's Office.

Bob Cashell has had gaming licenses continuously since 1967 at 17 locations statewide. He currently holds one gaming license at the Alamo Travel Center in Sparks. Other gaming licenses he has held:

Avi Hotel and Casino, Laughlin, 1995-97

Tahoe Mariner, Crystal Bay, 1994

King 8 Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, 1991-97

Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, 1991-96

Bob Cashell's Horseshoe Club, Reno, 1989-97

Carson Station, Carson City, 1987-93

Karl's Silver Club, Sparks, 1987-88

Karl's Hotel, Sparks, 1987-88

Star Hotel and Casino, Winnemucca, 1982-85

Winners Hotel and Casino, Winnemucca, 1981-89

Gem Bar, Winnemucca, 1981

Parkers Model T Casino, Winnemucca, 1979-89

Ben's Discount Liquors No. 7, Winnemucca, 1979-86

Comstock Hotel and Casino, Reno, 1978-90

Harrah's Casino Hotel, Las Vegas, 1973-75

Boomtown Hotel and Casino, Verdi, 1967-88

Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board