When Gary and Wini Ledford bought the defunct Imperial Casino Hotel in Cripple Creek two weeks ago, they got more than 26 hotel rooms and a gambling floor.
They got a restaurant, a bar, a theater, a boarding house and, apparently, a ghost. Most of all, though, the Ledfords bought themselves one very large project.
They plan to turn the 26 hotel rooms into 16 larger units and renovate the entire building.
It’s a daunting task, but nothing new for the Ledfords, who bought the old Cripple Creek high school in 2004 and turned it into the upscale bed and breakfast Carr Manor, which they still run.
The Ledfords say the hotel, Red Rooster Bar and restaurant can operate profitably on their own, but they’re looking for an operator to take over and reopen the casino. They hope to have the remodel finished by spring 2011.
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