Carson Valley Chamber pulls out of joint events center plans

Citing an uncertain future, the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce has pulled out of a joint study with Carson City that would have determined whether the region could support an events center.

Carson Valley officials agreed in October to share the cost of a $15,000 study on the feasibility of building a center to host events such as horse shows, fairs, car and motorcycle racing, truck shows and auctions.

In a Jan. 8 letter to the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, Suzanne Rosevold, executive director for the Carson Valley group, listed its reasons for withdrawing support.

"In light of two recent events in Douglas County, the first being the passage of Question 4 limiting growth, and the second being the blocking of the sale of the (Bureau of Land Management) land, our future funding is in serious jeopardy," Rosevold said.

Candace Duncan, director of the Carson City bureau, said the feasibility study will not go forward. Committee members directed Duncan on Monday to collect information about similar facilities in other cities.

The committee can use the information if Carson pursues building an events center in the city limits, said Carson Mayor Ray Masayko, a committee member.

"I think there still might be some value (to doing the market research)," he said. "Maybe we can do something ourselves."

The events center was not intended to replace the existing fairgrounds, but would have been a multi-use facility, much like the Reno Livestock Center.