Thursday, November 18, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Primm casino staff gets new place to call home
$20 million housing project opens today
By ROD SMITH
GAMING WIRE
A kitchen in a Desert Oasis model apartment appears Wednesday morning. Primm Valley Resorts, an MGM Mirage unit, will open the $20 million employee housing project today.
Sofas await tests by visitors Wednesday at a Desert Oasis model apartment. The residential complex will house workers from Buffalo Bill's, Primm Valley hotel and Whiskey Pete's in Primm.
Primm Valley Resorts receiving manager Pablo Covarrubias says living at Desert Oasis will help him save on fuel and insurance.
Photos by Clint Karlsen.
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Primm Valley Resorts, a subsidiary of MGM Mirage, will open a $20 million employee housing project today that will help it recruit and retain workers in an ever-tighter job market, company executives said Wednesday.
Renee West, president of Primm Valley Resorts, said the Primm housing project is important because she recruits workers for her resorts from the same labor market as the major Strip properties in Las Vegas.
Primm Valley Resorts operates Buffalo Bill's, Primm Valley hotel and Whiskey Pete's on the California-Nevada state line.
"The only thing that is different is that we're 45 minutes south. This (housing) gives us a a real advantage since it's affordable. Employees can walk to work with no expense for commuting and it improves the quality of life," she said.
John Redmond, president of MGM Grand Resorts, said because the Primm resorts are not as easy to get to as those in Las Vegas, the properties have always offered some employee housing.
However, the new Desert Oasis apartments are on a par with apartment or condominium housing in Las Vegas, compared with the single-room trailer homes that have been available in the past, he said.
Redmond said MGM Mirage committed itself to the breakaway concept in employee housing because of the importance of the Primm resorts to the holding company.
"It's extremely important," he said. "We see Southern Nevada like one giant mall and Vegas is an anchor tenant. As long as Las Vegas is here, there'll be people in cars traveling back and forth through Primm and we'll benefit from that."
As the massive new freight and international airport is developed in Ivanpah between Primm and Jean over the next 25 years, the resorts in Primm will become even more important for MGM Mirage, Redmond said.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas history department Chairman Hal Rothman said because of Primm Resorts' strategic importance, MGM Mirage is trying to create more than an old-style company town.
"They're building an integrated living space within walking distance of work, a work-related community," he said. "It has the advantage of not requiring commuting, cutting down on pollution and fuel use and creating a work-based community. It'll compel a kind of community relationship and obviates the problems of commuting."
He said the Desert Oasis development appeals to worker nostalgia and is part of a national trend in developing worker housing.
Workers say the new housing improves the quality of their lives and motivates them to give the best service and help them advance their careers with MGM Mirage.
"Oh man, it's a great thing for us," said Pablo Covarrubias, a receiving manager with Primm Valley Resorts. "We live close in. There are lot of good things for employees. We don't have to spend as much on gas, we save on insurance, we have more time and we have a pool and clubhouse and great neighbors we work with."
He said MGM Mirage also gives employees the chance for training and job advancement that keeps workers from straying to other properties.
Desert Oasis is a gated community with a 24-hour laundry, 10,000-square-foot market, clubhouse, swimming pool, workout room and basketball court. Its 52 buildings house up to 650 Primm employees.
The apartments at Desert Oasis range in size from 321 square feet for a studio to 1,079 square feet for a four-bedroom apartment. Rents range from $140 per month for a bedroom in a shared quad unit to $498 per month for a one-bedroom unit. Utilities and cable television are included in the rental price.
Perlman Architects provided architectural and interior design services for Desert Oasis.
A grand opening ceremony, including tours, will take place this morning at 9 a.m. at the housing complex, 355 E. Primm Blvd.
In addition to company housing, Primm Valley Resorts runs 11 buses on a 20-hour-a-day schedule for workers who live in or near Las Vegas.
