The Eastside Cannery parking lot in Las Vegas is barricaded off on Thursday, January 18, 2024. (Madelyn Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The operator of an Eastside cannery can keep its shuttered casino closed for up to two more years without losing some of its operating licenses, county officials said in approving the plan Tuesday.
Clark County officials are accepting a request from Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, operator of the Boulder Highway Hotel-Casino, which has been closed since the pandemic began in March 2020, to waive licensing requirements for up to two years. was approved unanimously. The approval also includes two six-month extensions if the publisher shows good cause.
Boyd has kept the facility closed long after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, citing decreased market demand around Boulder Highway. Michelle Rasmusson, Boyd’s chief compliance officer, said in a request to county officials that the facility is located next door to another Boyd-owned casino, Sam’s Town, which absorbs players. said.
“Currently, Boyd Gaming has sufficient excess capacity at Sam’s Town and market conditions do not support the reopening of Eastside Cannery at this time,” Rasmusson said in the letter. “Our Eastside Cannery customers, gaming and non-gaming alike, were integrated into Sam’s Town until demand required additional capacity at both facilities.”
Rasmusson also said that even if the facility reopens, it will not have adequate staffing. He said the company has about 400 job openings, not including real estate, and it could take six months to hire enough staff to manage the properties.
During its four-year closure, the facility was never completely vacant. Rasmusson said the facility has served as a distribution location for the Three Square Food Bank during the pandemic and has been used for public safety training, including simulations such as active shooter training for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and elevator rescue training for the Clark County Fire Department. Ta. .
Still, the company said it spends about $500,000 a month to maintain its assets. Nevada Gaming Control Board regulations require it to be open one day each quarter, and are scheduled to open on September 30, October 1, March 31, and April 1, 2025.
“This is a critically important facility along Boulder Highway,” Commissioner Jim Gibson said before approval. “The company proposed a plan, and we value their judgment, not ours. All I can say is that the maintenance here has been impeccable. We’re very grateful that they’ve been proactive in taking care of the facility, and we hope that one day it will return to commercial use and become a really important part of their organization.”
McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Please contact us at mross@reviewjournal.com. to follow @mckenna_ros_ With X.
