Newton initially purchased five vacant acres of the property in 1966 and gradually expanded it with several houses, including a mansion completed in 1978.

In 2010, Newton proposed turning the estate into a public attraction, an idea that received opposition from nearby residents who had concerns about the traffic that such a project would bring.

His proposal was approved by county officials, but was delayed in 2012 when his business partner on the project, CSD LLC, filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he and his family had interfered in the development plans.

[22] In August 2000, a brush fire at the nearby Sunset Park went over a 10-foot wall and onto Newton's property, burning an acre of land.

[28] Lacy and Dorothy Harber, residents of Texas, were majority owners of CSD, while the Newtons became 20 percent partners in the company.

CSD and the Newtons had plans to open Casa de Shenandoah as a public attraction with tours going through the property.

"[33] The partnership agreement between CSD and the Newtons ranked among the largest Las Vegas real estate deals of the decade.

[37] The private home would be built on the back of the property, and Newton and his family would live there while tours were being given of the main house,[33] which contained 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2).

[29] In addition to tours, the project would include a dinner theater, museum, and a gift shop, all of which would be located on the ten acres.

[28][29] The museum would be a larger version of the Red Room,[29] and would include items from Newton's career and from other entertainers affiliated with Las Vegas.

[29][33][22] The museum and theater would be located in a vacant building that previously operated as the Napa Valley Pottery and Floral store.

[29] A film crew from Ruettiger's production company attended the meeting,[36] where the project received unanimous opposition from nearby residents.

[29] In October 2010, Kennedy and CSD filed a lawsuit against M.J. Harvey, a longtime Paradise township activist, alleging that she repeatedly made false statements about how the project could affect homeowners and nearby communities.

"[40] Later that month, the Paradise Town Advisory Board recommended against the project, citing concerns about tourism and heavy traffic in the rural area.

The board also recommended against a proposal by Newton to privatize Tomiyasu Lane, located along the west side of Casa de Shenandoah, in an effort to contain traffic.

[22][42] To alleviate concerns from residents, the public entrance to Casa de Shenandoah would be on Sunset Road instead of Tomiyasu Lane.

[22] Casa de Shenandoah was originally intended to open as an attraction in February 2011,[8] although work proceeded slowly on the project following the approval.

Clark declined to get involved in the lawsuit, stating that Kennedy "is wrongly accusing the Newtons and mismanaging his role of leadership.

[32][47][48] Later in the month, CSD alleged that the Newton family was experiencing financial difficulty when they sold the property, and that they had no real intention to cooperate with the plans to turn it into an attraction.

The lawsuit also stated that Newton refused to provide his personal property for the planned museum, and that he and his wife complained repeatedly about the contractors and subcontractors hired to work on the project.

[57] Newton and his family moved out of Casa de Shenandoah in June 2013,[61] after purchasing new residential property nearby.

"[2] Under CSD's bankruptcy reorganization plan, Lacy Harber would own the entire company and would have full control of Casa de Shenandoah.

[63] The Harbers spent up to $20 million in renovations to the property over the next several months, including new flooring, bathrooms, hardware, stair railing, landscaping, and wallpaper.

[71][2][72][73] Attendees to the VIP party included Carrot Top, Clint Holmes, Lance Burton, Robert Torti, Sabrina Bryan, and the Harbers.

[77][16] Also featured on the tour was Newton's Native American artifact collection, his private jet, armed forces items, and letters he received from U.S.

"[79] In early November 2017, the Nevada District Office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) held a banquet on the property, an event which included a $1,500 cash bar.

Neighbors complained that the event utilized loudspeakers and that it lasted after dark, prompting an investigation by county code enforcement officials.

[85] In August 2019, a woman sued Newton and CSD over an alleged incident that occurred at the estate in 2017, in which her teenage daughter was bitten by his pet capuchin monkey while on the tour.

[92][93] A 90-minute television program, The Wayne Newton Special, was filmed at Casa de Shenandoah in 1974, and aired later that year on NBC.

[99][100] Casa de Shenandoah was also featured in a 2011 episode of Confessions: Animal Hoarding, in which the estate accepted approximately 200 lovebirds previously kept in a hoarder house.