After spending many years in Las Vegas, a city where the old is often demolished in favor of the new, Rick Dale and his crew have earned a spot on the History Channel for doing just the opposite. The stars of American Restoration take old, dilapidated items and restore them to their original glory. Every restoration is a high-stakes business project intended to result in a valuable collectible, preserving a piece of American culture.

While these projects are not always easy, Dale says, "The challenge is the absolute best part of what we do. The toughest jobs are always the ones I can't stop thinking about. The challenge is what drives us, because not everyone has the skills or patience to make old things like new again."

Dale has a fondness for "Old Vegas" and a keen ability to recognize potential value in rough exteriors. These qualities made the 18b Arts District a natural fit for relocation once Rick's Restorations grew too popular to remain a home-based business on Lone Mountain Road. Because his life's work is seeing beauty in the blend of the classic and the creative, moving his restoration business to a neighborhood that is itself a large-scale restoration project could not appeal more to Dale. Together, with his savvy business partner and fiancée Kelly, he has been hard at work since January renovating an expansive warehouse at 1112 S. Commerce St., and the interior is finally complete. The various workshops have large observation windows allowing tourists and fans to see the team in action. In addition to the benefits of a much larger space, the new address is now close enough to the Las Vegas Strip to be a proper tourist attraction and close enough to the Pawn Stars at Gold and Silver Pawn Shop for History Channel fans to visit both in one day.

The next phase of the project is to transform the building's exterior, which includes making the long driveway area into a replica of a 1940s-era main street with trees, building facades and possibly even an actual classic American diner.

"The goal is to be an attraction," says Dale. "We want it to be a kind of 'Disneyland' for the people who love this stuff. And the best news is that it's free! We're always working on something different, so it is a place to enjoy visiting again and again."

Rick's Restorations is open for tours Monday through Saturday, from 9 am - 5 pm. For more information, visit http://www.ricksrestorations.com/.

Photo: Rick Dale and fellow stars of American Restoration, courtesy of The History Channel.