Oh, this plan is coming around again. Every couple of years we hear a new plan for the Matley Ranch in south Gardnerville, in the area where Pinenut Road meets Hwy 395. In the past there was going to be a big hotel-casino on the site. Now the latest plan is for a huge commercial center, 1.5 million square feet with three large anchor stores and an attached business park. This is an ambitious plan, especially since the bankruptcy of the Minden Gateway Center, at the north end of Minden, is still smoldering. This proposed center is even larger and more ambitious, and probably runs up against the same risks. This project is a longshot for sure, but it dovetails in with the persistent rumors that Wal-Mart might be coming to Gardnerville one day. This location would probably be the perfect spot if they do come to town, and word is they’ve already been looking at it.
This site also sits at the intersection of Hwy 395 and the future Muller Parkway. This long-fabled bypass road is set to be finished in the next 20 to 30 years, giving large trucks and through traffic a way to avoid the downtown cores of Minden and Gardnerville. I think we’re going to see the next big explosion in growth in the Carson Valley take place around this area, so one of these days one of these plans actually will come to fruition. So will this be the one, or is it still too soon?
