Tired of dealing with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, longtime Cal-Neva Resort owner Chuck Bluth sold his hotel and casino to private investors Wednesday.
Bluth, who owned the casino for 20 years, sold the property to a newly-formed company called Namcal for $30 million.
Bluth, who has had a timeshare project in the works for the past six years, said he was fed up dealing with TRPA delays on the project.
“I’m tired of their regulating everything I did, and I’m tired of dealing with (the TRPA),” Bluth said. “And Placer County’s not too far behind when it comes to wanting to get a project done.”
TRPA Executive Director John Singlaub said he’s sorry Bluth feels the way he does.
“We’ve had a lot of success working with hotels at Lake Tahoe,” Singlaub said. “We work very hard to keep this a nice place, and if Chuck doesn’t agree with that, then I’m sorry.”
Singlaub said TRPA's mission of keeping the basin a beautful place puts money in the pockets of people who own hotels at Lake Tahoe.
“It’s unfortunate that some folks in the community continue to make TRPA a scapegoat for all occasions,” said TRPA Communications Director Julie Regan. “We recognize that there’s history to overcome, but things are improving at TRPA.”
Bluth will continue to run the casino for the next four months before he turns it over to casino manager Larry Wolf of the Casino Fandango in Carson City. Wolf will lease the casino from the new owners, Bluth said.
“It’s been incredibly successful and I see no reason (Wolf) shouldn’t carry that success over to the Cal-Neva,” Bluth said.
Although he won’t be an owner in the property, Bluth said he will continue to be involved in the timeshare project.
“It’s a matter of principle with me to see that this project gets done,” Bluth said. “Now, I can still be involved without putting up with the headaches from TRPA.”
He said the new owners will be putting money into the hotel, which will be managed by Century Management, to make it a four or five star destination.
“They are a resort management company and only run high end properties,” Bluth said. “They plan to give the Hyatt a run for their money, and I think they’ll do well here.”
Bluth said he will continue to live in the Lake Tahoe Basin, a place he and his wife have called home for more than 20 years.
He has no plans to give up on his development pursuits outside the basin.
“I’m a builder and I have several projects planned that won’t have to rely on strict and unrealistic rules and regulations,” Bluth said, referring to a project he is working on in California.