Has Kerry Simon Found a New Downtown Home?

Will Kerry Simon be the pioneer celebrity chef leading the pack downtown? Remodel details of the former down-at-heel John E. Carson Hotel, located a block from East Fremont, suggest the man behind Simon at Palms Place and KGB: Kerry's Gourmet Burgers at Harrah's Las Vegas is joining his good friend Tony Hsieh in the downtown revival.

Plans include the creation of a new Kerry Restaurant and the property is applying for permission for one other restaurant and two offices to be built within the two-story, U-shaped building. The Kerry Restaurant will also include a roof deck bar and patio.

The ongoing exterior remodel of the Carson Hotel will include new awnings and overhangs on both the 6th Street and Carson Avenue sides and, for now, the jutting vintage Hotel sign is being kept in place. The building dates back to 1955.

Zappos boss Tony Hsieh and his Downtown Project bought the hotel in April 2012 for $2,060,514. Former tenants of the low income boarding house have been moved into new accommodations.

The only official word from his Downtown team is a "December 2013" completion date for "a mixed-use building featuring a retail, office space along with food & beverage outlets." Rumors have included a juice store and a doughnut shop as other tenants.

Simon will be participating in the Project's Life is Beautiful two-day arts, food and music festival in October. The quixotic chef most recently revamped the menu for the Sapphire Day Club & Pool, the outdoors addition to the "World's Largest Gentlemen's Club."
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