Gold Spike wants valets to park cars in City Hall garage

Parking valets at the Gold Spike no longer would have to dart across Ogden Avenue to return to their work station under a proposal before the Las Vegas City Council.

The operators of the small hotel-casino at Las Vegas Boulevard and Ogden want to relocate where valets park customer cars from the underground garage at Neonopolis to the City Hall garage adjacent to the casino to the north.

The casino needs council approval because, unlike the Neonopolis garage, the City Hall garage has meters and under current city code valets would be required to insert coins to use the spaces.

By changing the code to allow Gold Spike to rent the spaces directly from the city, the council would make it possible for other businesses around town to make arrangements for customers to park in metered spots without depositing coins.

The newfound flexibility would come as Brandy Stanley, the city's first downtown parking czar, is looking for creative solutions to long-standing parking problems.

"We anticipate other businesses will be interested, and this proposed ordinance would allow us to meet the needs of the community if we have that extra space," city spokeswoman Diana Paul said.

For the Gold Spike the move is a matter of comfort and convenience.

One-way traffic on Fourth Street forces Gold Spike valets to drive around the block to reach the entrance to the city-owned garage underneath Neonopolis.

And to get back to their work station on the south side of the casino by foot, they need to cross four lanes of traffic on Ogden.

Also, there have been complaints in the past that the underground garage can be dark and intimidating.

It has been recently cleaned and repainted.

If the new setup is approved, valets at the Gold Spike could turn right from Ogden to Fourth and right again into the City Hall garage, which is adjacent to the casino's small, self-parking lot.

The valets could return on foot without crossing any streets, and when they bring cars back to customers, they could turn right from the garage onto Las Vegas Boulevard and right again onto Ogden, without crossing any lanes of traffic or waiting for left-turn arrows.

Paul said that the Gold Spike pays $500 per month for up to 50 spaces under Neonopolis and that amount wouldn't change after the move.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.