Kings Beach, CA…The North Lake Tahoe Event Center is filled today for decision day for Boulder Bay. At the present time the backers of the project are laying out what they see as the future of the project. The 48 acre project is proposed to have over 500 lodging units with a significant decrease in gaming square footage from the Tahoe Biltmore which currently anchors this land. The goal is to change this area from a Casino centric destination to a family centric project with bike trails, and other multi-use improvements.

One of the core issues brought forward by the project is that the current facility is economically unsustainable as a destination resort. The changes proposed in the project are more inline with the emerging successful Tahoe model of family, meeting and more of a mixed use facility.

Public Comments will commence after lunch which are expected to take at least a couple of hours some estimates have a vote coming around 4pm or after. This is just a guess and we will pass along the vote as soon as it becomes available.

This meeting was pushed back from March as due to the weather systems that were rolling through at the time. It was expected that enough of the TRPA Board would be absent as to not achieve a quorum.

The over 100 speakers that have signed up to speak during public comments are working their way to the podium. The comments have so far been overwhelmingly in favor of the project. There have been some objections from some environmental groups. Their objections for the most part have centered on the scale of the project.

If the vote was based purely on public comments it would sail through.

Afternoon Update…

The below live stream will go live as we get close to a vote.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Crystal Bay, NV…We stopped by the Historic Cal Neva Resort and soon to be Casino this afternoon. Crews were hard at work bringing life back to the casino operations that had been mothballed since the economy had slowed. With now improving economy it was deemed that now was the right time to bring gaming back to the old “Rat Pack” and Celebrity hangout. Depending on the speed of the crews working on the equipment the casino may be back in business later tonight.

From their website. “Located on Crystal Point, overlooking Lake Tahoe, Cal Neva Resort Spa and Casino offers the perfect combination of peace and quiet paired with one of the world’s most adventurous playgrounds.

Once a secret haven for Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, San Francisco’s upper crust, Hollywood’s stars and international dignitaries, the Cal Neva Resort’s mystique lives on and gives the hotel its distinction as a true Lake Tahoe classic. The original Lodge was built in 1926 by wealthy San Francisco businessman, Robert P. Sherman, who used the Lodge as a guesthouse for his friends and real estate clients.

Today, families from all over the world still receive the first class service and personal touch that made this resort so famous. Unlike any other North Lake Tahoe hotel, all 199 hotel rooms, suites and chalets offer spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. Inside and out, this historic property located in Crystal Bay offers all the amenities you would expect from a full service resort; it’s also the only property in the world located in two states – on the state lines of California and Nevada. ”