Nevada Palace saying its last goodbyes - Business

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Feb. 29, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada Palace saying its last goodbyes

Owner: New casino will have same feel

By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Rich Czapla, left, who began working at Nevada Palace 19 years ago, talks with longtime owner of the property William Wortman.
Photo by Gary Thompson

Nevada Palace is closing to clear space for a parking lot in front of the Eastside Cannery, which is slated to open late this summer. The new property will be the second Cannery-branded casino in Las Vegas.
Photo by Gary Thompson

Nevada Palace casino porter Rich Czapla stops cleaning up paper and cups around a slot machine to give an update on his wife's health to the property's longtime owner.

William Wortman looks at 88-year-old Czapla, placing a hand on the worker's right shoulder.

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Czapla was 69 when he started working at the 15,000-square-foot casino in March 1989. But he is not sure he will fit in at the new $250 million Eastside Cannery and its 65,000-square-foot casino, under construction since April behind the building.

"I don't think so," Czapla said. "I just think it will be harder on me at my age. It won't be like this here, where I can stop and talk to a customer or ... I don't know."

"Let me tell you," Wortman interjects. "That is the plan. To keep that close feeling like we have at the other properties. That is certainly the plan we have here."

The 29-year-old hotel-casino on Boulder Highway will close for good today to make way for a parking lot fronting the $250 million Eastside Cannery, which is scheduled to open in late summer.

Wortman has co-owned Nevada Palace, a Boulder Highway grind joint with 100 hotel rooms, since 1985. As he makes his way through the property, many people know him simply as Bill. As longtime customers and employees approach him to say hello, Wortman addresses many by their first names. He listens intently as they discuss their jobs, their hopes and their plans.

After exchanging a few more greetings, including an unexpected embrace from another worker, Wortman makes his way to the property's coffee shop.

He orders a hot tea and takes a seat in one of the shop's booths before the emotion of the moment becomes too much.

Wortman's face turns a soft red as he tries to hold back the tears filling his eyes.

"When you implode, there's a human cost to that. ... You always have human stories with these hotels."

The Eastside Cannery is being built by Cannery Casino Resorts, which Wortman co-founded with industry veteran Bill Paulos in 1996.

Wortman held Nevada Palace outside the Cannery company until buying out his longtime partner, Renate Schiff, in 2005. The property was sold to the Cannery Casino Resorts the following year, with plans to build the company's second Cannery-branded property. The first Cannery opened in 2003 in North Las Vegas on the corner of Craig and Losee roads.

The new Cannery will open with 307 hotel rooms, a casino with 2,000 slot machines and 26 table games. It will also have 20,000 square feet of meeting space, five restaurants, a bingo hall, spa and a pool. The hotel will also have a lounge on the top floor that will overlook the valley.

The Nevada Palace's colorful history is similar to that of many properties that were on the Strip, but that have also gone the way of the bulldozer.

Nevada Palace opened in July 1979, three months after Sam's Town, under the direction of casino veteran Gene Lucas and Los Angeles partners Rene Diaz, Dan Straub and Bill Gallagher.

A year later, Lucas was gone and the property was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On July 31, 1980, creditors moved on the property and forced the 201-room hotel to close for a day and the casino to shut down for 10 months.

The property changed hands but was placed under Chapter 11 in January 1983, a cloud that would linger until late 1985, when Wortman and Schiff took control.

Schiff personally guaranteed approximately $118,000 in unpaid Social Security taxes the property owed to the Internal Revenue Service to enable the dismissal of the bankruptcy. The casino also had to pay back seven creditors, including vendors, a utility company and an advertising company.

No party is planned when the casino locks its doors around 8 p.m., but one could spontaneously develop.

Back by the slots, Czapla shakes his head as if wanting to believe Wortman's promise but still feeling unsure.

"I'll see ... when you open up over there, if there is something I can do a few days a week," Czapla said.

"Like I said, Rich," Wortman replied, "we'll figure that out."

Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or (702) 477-3893.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Chubby Lee wrote on January 03, 2009 08:36 AM: Wow! Just found out The Palace was closed. I was thinking of flying my wife to Vegas and renewing our wedding vows at the Nevada Palace. My wife Lois and myself were performing there in the lounge in 1984 with our band Western Electrik and thought it would be a great idea to be married on stage. March 14, 1984 we were married on stage and then did three shows that night. There were was quite a crowd and altho we didn't know most of them it was a great event. It would have been a very nice surprise for my wife of twenty five years, to revisit the Palace. Guess I'll have to think of something else. AJ Perseo wrote on June 07, 2008 06:39 PM: I will say one thing about Nevada Palace. You won't get a more delicous breakfast for the money and good service. Sorry to see it disappear. Elaine wrote on May 21, 2008 03:09 PM: I know the hotel itself was in poor shape, but THE CASINO was HOME for me. Almost from the first day I walked in, everyone was friendly, helpful, and kind. It was like "Cheers" where everybody knows your name. The Boulder Cafe was a wonderful, inexpensive place to eat. I miss the spaghetti, fruit plates, and daily specials - ALL UNDER $4.99 each! The slot attendants were THE BEST!! One of them made an annual trip to the Marde Gras and ALWAYS brought back BOXES and BOXES of beads for the customers. Where else can you find this these days? On one occasion a customer known for his daily visit DID NOT show up. Staff actually called his home to make sure he was o.k. He wasn't. Turned out the man was having a stroke - if it hadn't been for the "family" of Nevada Palace he might not be alive today. THAT'S THE KIND OF PLACE IT WAS. I miss it. Elaine aka CAT LADY Jackie Kempster wrote on March 25, 2008 02:28 PM: How can we obtain a profit/loss statement from our players cards for Nevada Palace? Malcolm wrote on February 29, 2008 01:06 PM: Here's a goodbye from an Englishman with memories of Nevada Palace over about 20 years. When I first stayed I realised that it was no state-of-the art "palace" but it was reasonably clean and had very friendly staff and customers. Over the years it just went down, down, down. I last stayed about three years ago - I had already vowed to stay away but I arrived in town when there was a convention or something going on and Sam's wanted about $100 so I went next door. The room was dirty. The bathroom ceiling was oozing toilet waste from above (they did reluctantly give me a better room). There were roaches playing around the salad section of the buffet bar. I ate at Sam's. I filed a complaint. Then I moved elsewhere. I did not receive any communication from the hotel in response to my filing. I haven't ever seen a hotel that more deserved the name DUMP. OK so it never was great - but why on earth was it allowed to become a positive health hazard? Goodbye Nevada Palace - you'll not be missed by me. Why wrote on February 29, 2008 12:39 PM: Why do they waste resources on a story like this? This dump closing is a victory for hygiene, clean air, and positive development. When you implode, you are confirming too late what everyone else has known for years. David wrote on February 29, 2008 08:58 AM: Just another bowl in a sea of toilets. Kelly J wrote on February 29, 2008 07:27 AM: I'm gonna miss the Nevada Palace! Glad I got to play there before it closed.