The Clark County Department of Building and Safety said it would also oppose the project, as the hotel's parking structure would be built under high-voltage power lines located in a right-of-way, posing a safety hazard. Michael Gaughan said that the existing motel structure was already located beneath the power lines, and that he had approval for the construction of the parking garage. In February 1976, the Clark County Commission approved a variance for the start of construction, despite a recommendation of denial from the county planning commission. Groundbreaking took place on March 3, 1976, with Tito Tiberti and J. A. Tiberti Construction Company as the general contractor. Completion of the Barbary Coast was expected 18 months later. The power lines would be raised to allow for construction of the parking garage. Within a week of the groundbreaking, the MGM and Flamingo filed a suit against the county commission, stating that it did not give the resorts adequate time to prepare arguments against the variance. The suit also claimed that Jackie Gaughan's application did not include necessary details about the project. In addition, the resorts accused commissioner Tom Wiesner of having a conflict of interest, which he denied. Wiesner owned a financial stake in the Marina hotel down the street, which was expected to benefit from the opening of the Barbary Coast. Later in 1976, Jackie Gaughan won an extension from the Clark County Commission, narrowly granting him another year to begin construction while the project faced legal challenges from opponents. Operation The eight-story Barbary Coast was eventually built, at a cost of $13 million. It was opened by Michael Gaughan on March 2, 1979. It was built on land that was owned by Empey Enterprises, which leased the site to the hotel-casino. The Barbary Coast saw significant success, particularly among local residents, and Michael Gaughan later started his own gaming company, Coast Casinos. The property was named after the "Barbary Coast" term which was once used to refer to the North African coastal regions. Gaughan had the building designed to eventually accommodate four additional floors, although such plans never materialized, as he found the property to be successful enough as-is. When the MGM Grand caught on fire in November 1980, the Barbary Coast was closed to customers by management, allowing the property to be used as an evacuation center for MGM guests. The two properties were located across the street