Redevelopment director Rob Joiner said the district exists to attract financially viable businesses to the old downtown buildings. Today, Carson City's downtown has a good choice of restaurants, gift stores, coffee shops, some specialty stores and offices. The capital complex in the center of downtown is home to the State Capitol building, the recently expanded Legislative Building and several state offices, including the state Supreme Court, the state Library and Archives and an accompanying parking garage. An added plum for Carson City's downtown is the Ormsby House, which is open and is being refurbished after years of financial turmoil. That casino, the Carson Nugget, the Carson Station and others in the downtown corridor continue to offer entertainment and fine dining.
Educational opportunities continue to offer alternatives to long commutes.
Western Nevada Community College now is a hub of educational activity, teaching a vast array of students. A high-technology center will open in conjunction with Carson High School this year, and the 1999 Legislature will be approached to approve a new library and student center, said Helaine Jesse, WNCC's dean of institutional advancement. Despite the enormous growth Carson City has experienced, the city has operated under a Growth Management Ordinance since the early 1980s. At the time, the city had no choice but to adopt such an ordinance as a way to improve its water and sewer capacity. Since then, however, community development director Walt Sullivan said the ordinance has helped Carson City develop a better quality of life.