The Home Depot store, a 130,000-square-foot big box store opened Aug. 14 on Highway 160 and Basin Avenue, is the most obvious sign of growth in Pahrump.

The project was estimated to create 130 jobs during groundbreaking ceremonies in October 2007.

That wasn't the only major project to go up in 2008, despite the economic slowdown.

* One of the few developments in Pahrump that has been aggressively expanding on a regular basis, the elite Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch, is targeting a Microtel Hotel, with 80 rooms.

"We just have a constant problem with not having enough rooms. That's why we're going ahead with a hotel," said Dave Petrie, general manager.

A request to rezone 5.4 acres for the hotel from heavy industrial to general commercial scheduled for the Dec. 10 RPC meeting was rescheduled for Jan. 14 at the request of the developers.

Russ Meads, co-owner of Classic Homes, the general contractor, said, "They're ready to start immediately, if we can get their approvals."

A groundbreaking could take place in May, he said.

Switchcars.com, billed as the world's first destination dealership, opened at the raceway in November. It's an ultra-luxe showroom filled with exotic race cars, including one of only 11 Lotus 211 race cars.

* Curt Moen, owner of M3 Planning and Consulting Group, plans to open Muscle and Fitness Gym inside the Edward Homes Professional Center at 3610 South Highway 160 soon, after receiving a conditional use permit in September. Another shopping center business, the In-dulj' Bistro, a popular bar with the young crowd, opened in November after being issued a liquor license in March and a conditional use permit in January.

Moen said he's planning a Comfort Inn and Suites with 100 rooms on the north side of Spring Mountain raceway on Highway 160 and Gravel Pit Road in conjunction with developer Brock Metzka.

It would be accompanied by a 160-space recreational vehicle park, fast food restaurants and a convenience store, he said. The RPC approved the conditional use permit for the hotel, RV park and a casino in August.

"The way the banks have been the last couple of months, they're finally now starting to release the funding. The hotel-casino site across from the fairgrounds, same thing. We're just waiting for the funding. They should be funding in 30 days," Moen said.

A couple of other projects Moen is working on are also pending. A groundbreaking was held for Pahrump Early Learning Academy, a child care and pre-school facility down the street from J.G. Johnson Elementary School last April. Moen said they're scheduled to move in any day now.

Moen expects to break ground in February on a senior nursing facility for up to 200 residents on Zolin Avenue near Homestead Road. The conditional use permit for that project was approved by the RPC back in February.

* While many banks are going under, First International Bank opened a Pahrump branch out of a trailer last August. The Plano, Texas-based bank made its debut in the area with a branch in a modular building in Amargosa Valley in October 2007. The construction of a permanent building is expected soon at the site on Highway 160 in Pahrump.

"We're not a big mortgage lending bank so we didn't get hurt in the sub-prime loans," said Karen Clayton, 1st International vice-president and branch manager. "We got our building permit. Hopefully we'll break ground on the new building sometime after the first of the year."

* A site development plan was approved for Cavallo Development for a 17,600-square-foot commercial-office strip center at 2780 Homestead Road in February, which is still under construction. Down the street, Dr. Maninder Herr opened the Homestead Animal Hospital in late August.

* Tom Saitta began putting up the frame for his new Italian restaurant and jazz nightclub, Tommasino's, on 250 S. Humahuaca St. after receiving a waiver from the RPC in October on setbacks and landscape buffering.

Saitta, the co-owner of Saitta Trudeau Chrysler-Jeep- Dodge, expects the restaurant to open by March next to Romero's Mexican Restaurant almost across the street from the car dealership. Saitta has already started looking for employees,. He's already hired Michael Paris-Candolo, a well-known chef in Las Vegas.

* Jan Jensen opened her new nightclub, The Maverick on West Mesquite Avenue, last May.