Free Republic

When a successful Las Vegas company known for its entertainment and adult-themed shows looks to expand, one might think of New York City, Los Angeles, London or Paris. But just like the mind-bending absurdity of some of its acts — it chose the tiny town of Nipton, California, to expand — population 15 (or 20 depending on who you ask). Spiegelworld, the company that produces Absinthe at Caesars Palace, the Atomic Saloon Show at The Venetian, and OMP at Cosmopolitan has confirmed it is the buyer of Nipton, which is located in San Bernardino County’s Ivanpah Valley roughly 12 miles...

American Green Inc. announced Thursday it is buying all 80 acres of Nipton, which includes its Old West-style hotel, a handful of houses, an RV park and a coffee shop. It says it plans to transform the old Gold Rush town into what it calls "an energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination." The town's current owner, Roxanne Lang, said the sale is still in escrow, but confirmed American Green is the buyer. She declined to reveal the price before the sale closes, but noted she and her late husband, Gerald Freeman, listed the property at $5 million when they put it up...

The sale includes the 80 acres of land, all the buildings, and the fields of solar panels. Buyers are looking at the small desert community just across the state line for its environmental sustainability and its potential for development. ... Tony Castrignano with Sky Mesa Realty and Capital is the man tasked with selling the town. For $5 million, the buyer gets the country store, the RV campgrounds, the Nipton hotel and the solar panels that allow Nipton to operate at 50 percent off the grid. ... He said potential buyers have talked about building housing, selling solar power, growing...