Casper Council Lifts Hotel Site Restrictions Ahead of 2028 Opening

The C.H. Bixby hotel will offer 118 rooms across five floors when it opens. The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to end property use restrictions on four downtown lots once the project is complete.

The restrictions currently apply to Lots 16 through 19 in the Nolan redevelopment project. City Attorney Eric Nelson reported that these limitations trace back to a July 2020 filing. That filing originated from 2019 redevelopment agreements between the city, The Nolan LLC, and Flag Development LLC.

The original plan called for mixed commercial and residential spaces. It also required the historic preservation of the former Livery Stable at 363 S. Ash St. Municipal evaluations later found the building structurally insufficient. The city demolished the structure in 2020, leaving the site vacant.

City staff concluded that the historic preservation component can no longer be achieved because the building is gone. The hotel footprint covers Lots 16 through 22. Only Lots 16 through 19 were subject to the original 2020 property limitations. Lots 20 through 22 were not restricted.

Project representatives previously estimated an 18-month construction timeline. The hotel is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2028. The property will include a fine dining restaurant, conference rooms, and a rooftop balcony.

Martin Axlund, a representative for Brick & Bond, described the hotel as a Hilton Tapestry. He called it a four-star boutique line that fits the city's comprehensive plan established in 2007.