from each other. The closure lasted three hours, during which Gaughan gave away free food to fire survivors. The closure cost him up to $20,000. In 1990, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Barbary Coast and Michael Gaughan to negotiate a new contract with the Culinary Workers Union, after the expiration of the previous contract a year earlier. A federal judge determined there was reasonable cause to believe that management had threatened employees who supported the union. In 1991, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleged that Gaughan and the resort violated the injunction. Two years later, the NLRB alleged that the Barbary Coast had engaged in dozens of violations relating to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. Among the allegations was that the property terminated workers' pension and health plans, and withheld salary raises. Barbary Coast workers voted for a new contract later in 1993. By 1996, the Barbary Coast was worth $60-70 million. Later in the year, Hilton Hotels Corporation began discussions to purchase the Barbary Coast, although this did not go through. Robert L. Johnson, a co-founder of BET and a Hilton board member, considered buying the Barbary Coast a few years later. He wanted to focus less on gaming and more on entertainment, with live music programs to be broadcast from the property. Gaughan was willing to sell the Barbary Coast for $100 million, but Johnson offered only $65 million. Johnson ultimately decided that the Barbary Coast was too small for his plans, which would have included the addition of a theater. As of 2002, the Barbary Coast had 800 employees. An employee parking lot was located just east of the Barbary Coast, on 2.5 acres. The casino had been leasing the property from Nevada Power Company, which put the site up for sale that year. Coast Casinos purchased the land for $20.7 million in 2003, and continued using it for employee parking. The Barbary Coast had a modest celebration for its 25th anniversary, serving free cake and champagne. The property had seen few renovations up to that time, such as a recent remodeling of its rooms which added new mirrors, paintings, and wallpaper. The small property had retained its success for more than 20 years, and was particularly popular among a regular clientele of repeat tourists. It did not compete with newer megaresorts that had opened nearby in recent years.