Lots of good things are happening in South Lake Tahoe, according to land use attorney, Lew Feldman, at the most recent Minden Rotary meeting. This includes the Tahoe Blue Events Center (TBEC), major renovations at the Golden Nugget and Harvey’s, a free-to-the-public micro-transit system, and the new professional hockey team which begins its first season in October.

The history of the Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority (TDVA) was explained.  This organization was formed in 1997 as an alternative to splitting Douglas County into two new counties (reflecting the Lake Tahoe side and the Carson Valley side).  The Lake represents 9% of the county’s population but over 20% of the tax revenue between the casinos and the property taxes.  There are very few county-owned roads on the Lake side, so it is not a large draw on resources. 

The City of South Lake Tahoe started redevelopment in the 1990s and has been responsible for successful projects like the Heavenly Village Redevelopment Project, linking the mountain with the bed base, and transforming the image of South Lake Tahoe from a casino base to a ski Town.

In 2011, 45 public and private stakeholders of the Lake got together to create a vision plan.  Through this analysis, it was determined that an indoor venue for entertainment, conventions, and sports were needed to reinvigorate the economy.  In 2015, no infrastructure improvements had yet been made and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) declared the area blighted.  This allowed the County to allocate a portion of taxes within and adjacent to the casino core to redevelopment.  TDVA went to the Nevada legislature to get approval for a $5 per room night surcharge fee and the BOCC approved a 1% lodging fee increase.  This created the funding for the TBEC.  This center has been created with no risk to the county - the 5-acre parcel was donated by the Edgewood Companies. As a bonus, the Center has inspired additional re-investments starting with the $240 million renovation of the Golden Nugget and the millions of dollars of upgrades in Harveys including the new restaurant Wolf by Vanderpump. 

According to Feldman, gaming is no longer the main attraction – outdoor recreation, food and beverage and upgraded facilities are the drivers.  And the recent great news about the TBEC is showing that it has added $3 million worth of additional revenue to the County fund - a fact Feldman is “hoping will bring the Valley and Lake closer together.”