There was a time when the intersection of First and Center Streets in downtown Casper was known for classy cocktail bars and live music.
Some of that tradition could very well return.
The area was once dominated by Casper’s grand hotels, which all competed for patrons with their own restaurants, bars and lounges. By the late 1960s, the downtown hotels were given a death blow with the construction of I-25, along with new lounges and entertainment further east of town.
The Tower, built in 1954, was originally an addition to the Gladstone Hotel on the corner of First and Center. That 1923-era building was demolished in 1970, leaving its forlorn addition awkwardly standing alone.
For decades The Tower served as an office building with a restaurant on the first floor. Slowly deteriorating and losing tenants, the building sat empty for a couple of years before new investors took control last May.
“We will redesign it, we do want to keep its character,” said project manager Steve Gibson.
Gibson is a partner in the group of owners, with businessman Marvin Piel as the main investor.
The nine-story building features a funky midcentury vibe, and most notable a spectacular glass-enclosed top floor that overlooks Casper.
“There’s nowhere else in Wyoming where you’ll sit and have dinner and a view like this, it doesn’t exist,” said Gibson. “This floor is why we bought this building.”
Empty since the early ’80s, the ninth floor was originally called the Sky Lounge and featured a bar, stage and window seating.
It was eventually converted into a disco of sorts and covered in mirrors, which have mostly been removed. The distinctive ceiling design above the stage survives. Â The owners are trying to decide if it can be saved and integrated into the new design. New windows will also be installed.
“We want this to be a real dining experience,” said Gibson.
The first phase of the project is well underway, which mainly involves bringing the mechanics up to date. Brand new electricity has been completed, a new heating system installed and a new elevator is in the works.
The bottom floor, which most recently was the Mountain View sandwich shop, is in the process of gutting and converting into a lounge and sandwich shop. The owners were granted a full liquor license for the building, giving them the option to offer alcohol in all of the social areas they have planned.
Gibson hopes to have the first floor sandwich shop and bar open by June 1. He expects the rest of the building to take shape over the next couple of years.
“I do want to make sure that we keep something that connects it back to what it used to be,” said Gibson of the building’s redesign.
Things are coming full circle some 50 years after the start of downtown’s decline. “It’s quite a move, that’s one of the reasons we decided to do this,” said Gibson. “Most downtowns die, if you go out anywhere in the country you see them hurting. I think over the next few years you’ll see a pretty good surge down here.”
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