Boulder City residents will have another local place to fuel up their vehicles and purchase goods as a business is expanding its services.
Hoover Dam Lodge, 18000 U.S. Highway 93, is breaking ground next week on an approximately $4.5 million project to construct a gas station and a 7,000-square-foot general store on its 32-acre property. The gas station will be affiliated with Chevron, and both it and the store will be located across from the lodge.
“Basically we are catering to our recreationists,” said Joe Graziano, operations director for Dotty’s.
The lodge is owned by Nevada Restaurant Services, which is the parent company of Dotty’s. The facility includes a hotel, casino, cafe, bingo hall and general store. And visitors can enjoy zip lining, helicopter rides and skydiving.
“It sort of cements Hoover Dam Lodge as a base camp for recreation enthusiasts,” added Reggie Burton, a representative for the lodge.
Graziano said many people pass by on the way to Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Once the gas station is completed, they will be able to fuel their vehicles, boats and RVs there. It will be integrated into the casino’s system, and visitors can use the points they win for gas discounts.
“It’s good to go,” Graziano said. “I hope it will be complete by the end of the year.”
Boulder City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Rowland-Lagan knows that the gas station will affect businesses in town, but she also sees it as an opportunity to have more people drive through area.
“We will continue to work on mitigating those impacts with new opportunities for added business to the local gas stations and convenience stores … and added Boulder City Express shuttles with stops at those local stations,” she said.
“However, with the potential of traffic exiting the I-11 at the off ramps at Railroad Pass and by Hoover Dam Lodge, we do have the chance to have that vehicular traffic flow through Boulder City instead of getting back on the I-11. With friendly customer service, easy-to-follow travel directions through town and the promise of a quaint and historic experience, getting them off I-11 is meeting our goal of enticing the guest to stay a while and learn more about what Boulder City has to offer.”
Burton said creating these services for visitors and the community has been the plan since Dotty’s bought the property at the end of 2013.
With the gas station, Graziano said, they are also working on adding an RV park on that side of the property.
“We are hoping to break ground on the RV park by the end of the year,” he said.
The lodge is near Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Before Dotty’s bought and renamed it, it was called Hacienda.
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.