88°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

Railroad Pass marks grand opening of travel center

Railroad Pass officially opened its new $12 million travel center Friday with great fanfare and even more appreciation to those who helped make it happen.

Joe DeSimone, owner of the casino and Henderson-based real estate firm, First Federal Realty DeSimone, thanked government officials from Henderson and Boulder City, the construction team, financial supporters, local chambers of commerce and his staff for helping see the project to fruition.

The facility features an 8,500-square-foot convenience store complete with a shower area for truckers, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and slot machines; Chevron gas station with 20 fuel pumps, seven diesel pumps for semitrucks, 12 Tesla charging stations, a truck scale and a 2,000-gallon propane dispensing tank.

“I remember when he bought the casino. I told him he needed a truck stop and to do something with the food,” said Henderson Councilwoman Gerri Schroeder. “He has achieved that plus renovated all the rooms and painted the outside.”

She said it’s been a great journey and important for the city of Henderson.

“I can’t say enough good about Joe and the Railroad Pass team. They’ve done a great job of working with both cities,” said Boulder City Mayor Rod Woodbury. “I know there are greater things to come.”

Vilma Navarro, general manager of the travel center, said they provide everything a traveler or truck driver can think of.

Formerly the manager of a truck stop in Primm, Nevada, Navarro said she is impressed with the beauty of the new facility along with its many amenities.

“It’s been a long ride but a good ride,” said Joe Wilcock, general manager of Railroad Pass. “I’m very proud of it. It’s a product we wanted and a product the people wanted.”

He said it’s situated to be convenient for travelers to get in and out of easily, and provides plenty of parking for vehicles of all sizes.

Plans for the travel center were unveiled in January 2017 and DeSimone had hoped to have it completed by September. However construction delays on the Nevada Department of Transportation’s portion of Interstate 11, which would allow an easement being used for U.S. Highway 93 to be returned to the casino, forced DeSimone to adjust the pace.

With the full opening of the interstate weeks away, DeSimone said he is excited for the traffic it will bring to the area.

Railroad Pass, holds Nevada’s fourth gaming license and is in its 87th year of operation. It is the state’s oldest continually operating casino.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Toll Brothers gets split decision

The development of the area near Boulder Creek Golf Course known as Tract 350 (the sale of which is slated to pay for the majority of the planned replacement for the aging municipal pool) may have hit a snag last week as the planning commission voted 5-1 to deny the developers’ request to build houses closer to the street than is allowed under current law.

Council gives nod to 185 new hangars

There is at least one part of Boulder City that is set to see growth in the coming years. A lot of growth.

Boulder City ready to celebrate America

Boulder City resident James Cracolici may have put it best when he called the annual July 4 Damboree, “The crown jewel of all events held in Boulder City.”

BC can ban backyard breeders

Although there is nothing on any city agenda yet, the resolution of the issue of whether pet breeding will be allowed in Boulder City took a huge step forward last week as Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford released an official opinion on the intent and limitations of state law that had been requested by city staff last year.

Completion dates for two road projects pushed back

Mayor Joe Hardy tacitly acknowledged that Boulder City gets, perhaps, more than its fair share of funding from the Regional Transportation Commission, given the city’s size.

Businesses recognized at Chamber awards night

The Boulder City Chamber of Commerce’s annual installation and awards night featured many business owners in town and even had an appearance, albeit an A.I.-generated one, by Audrey Hepburn.

Parallel parking approved

Like so many other things in the world of Boulder City government, the issue of reconfiguring parking in the historic downtown area along Nevada Way, which generated enough heat to cause council members to delay a decision up until the last possible moment, ended with more of a whimper than a bang.

Ways to reduce summer power bills

Now that the thermometer is on the rise outdoors, the cost to cool homes and businesses on the inside is doing the same.