HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Nye County commissioners Butch Borasky, left, and at right, Hollis Harris flank Pahrump Nugget General Manager Jeremy Jenson during the celebration Monday of the groundbreaking for eight new movie theaters. Expected to be operating by next Memorial Day, they will be the first in town for the last seven or more years. Advertisement

Others have promised movie screens for Pahrump but the Nugget has stolen a march on construction thereof.

Less than a week after the opening of Pahrump's Home Depot store, the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino began work on an eight-screen movie theater complex that is part of the property's ongoing expansion.

Nugget Cinemas is expected to be open by next Memorial Day and will feature 1,300 seats and 28,000 square feet of space with state-of-the-art digital sound and projection capabilities.

Monday the formal ground-breaking was held at the southeast corner of the hotel-casino facility, with silver shovels flashing in the sun, guests taking their ease under a white tent fly and a front-end loader being put through its paces.

The theater facility will also include VIP seating, a large-scale children's arcade and a separate drop-off and parking area to ensure safety and keep underage boys and girls from entering the casino.

Golden Gaming, owners of the Pahrump Nugget, is negotiating with an un-named, nationally recognized theater operator to actually operate the theaters.

The last time movie theaters operated in Pahrump was nearly 7 or 8 years ago.

The Pahrump Theaters held forth where Skate Zone stands today. There were two screens, but the business apparently closed early in the decade, allegedly due to simple lack of business.

Except for movies screened periodically at Petrack Park, Pahrump residents have had to head over the hump to Las Vegas to see first-run flicks in the years since.

At the same time as it brings back cinema to town, the Nugget will add 6,100 square feet of gaming space with about 200 new slot machines, said Jessie Pound of Kirvin Doak Communications, which is handling public relations for the project.

"We are thrilled to build Pahrump's first fully integrated theater and entertainment complex at the Pahrump Nugget, said Blake L. Sartini, chairman and CEO of Golden Gaming.

After the groundbreaking, guests were ushered into one of the banquet spaces which featured artist's renderings of the theater complex and offered a bucket of popcorn and a spread of candies at each table.

Nye County Commissioners Hollis Harris, Butch Borasky and Peter Liakopoulos were among the local and area dignitaries attending the event.

"We're investing in the community," said Golden Gaming CEO Steve Arcana. He thanked the local politicians, who he said have been "very supportive" of his company's efforts.

He said the company took over ownership of the Nugget in November 2006 and has pursued its aim of "investing capital into the community."

"We will continue to upgrade and expand our property so that we may offer the finbest service, quality products and an enjoyable atmosphere for the community," said Sartini.

The Nugget complex features 70 guest rooms and a broad variety of table games along with 565 slot and video poker games already in place.

The Nugget also features a 24-lane bowling center and three restaurants.

Golden Gaming was established in 2001 and employs more than 2,200 men and women throughout Nevada and Colorado.

Pound said the current project is expected to create 60 new full-time jobs here.