Business is looking brighter for Green Valley Town Center

Before the majority of the stores sat vacant for years, Charles Skinner remembered Green Valley Town Center as a vibrant area.

“I can tell you way back in the day, it was hard to find a parking spot in the center,” said Skinner, the vice president of operations for Wildfire Gaming, which owns Barley’s, the casino and microbrewery. “It’s nice to see that happening again.”

Skinner said the center, 4500 E. Sunset Road, is coming back to life.

First it was Dip Sticks Bakery, which specializes in selling desserts on a stick or in a jar, then it was Galaxy Green Valley Luxury + Theatre.

With the new arrivals, the revitalization of Green Valley Town Center continues.

One of the newest additions to open its doors was the boutique Meld.

“I knew I wanted to bring in different styles,” said Michael Outlaw, Meld’s owner. “That’s what Meld is, a blend or a mixture of different styles. It’s catchy, too. People know the name is different than anything they’ve ever heard.”

Outlaw has been in the fashion industry for nearly a decade.

After moving to Las Vegas from Chicago, Outlaw noticed that much of the shopping in the area catered mostly to tourists on the Strip.

“There weren’t really any boutiques,” he said.

He decided, with his business partner, that he would open his own store offering trends he would hand-pick from trade shows in Los Angeles.

Outlaw describes his product as fashion-forward.

“It’s different from things you’d find in stores like Macy’s,” he said. “We have really unique pieces.”

Looking around town, people recommended either Henderson or Summerlin to set up shop.

Summerlin didn’t work, he said.

“We saw Dip Sticks on the news,” he said. The bakery had opened in the center in August.

With the shop and the theater operational, Outlaw heard talks that the center was revitalizing.

“People who lived in the area remembered how popular it used to be,” he said. “They are excited the center is coming back to life.”

Outlaw said he wanted to get into the center while the time was right.

Before new businesses started coming in, Barley’s had been the anchor of the nearly empty plaza for years.

“The main driver in that center had been us on the east side and the grocery store on the other side,” he said.

As the recession hit, causing other establishments in the center to disappear, Barley’s weathered through tough times. Now with new places opening, it also means more customers for the casino.

After months of renovation, Galaxy opened in March.

“People still need to buy their tickets in advance to get a good seat,” said Galaxy Theatres LLC president Rafe Cohen, referring to the increasingly packed shows at the complex. “Business has been quite good. People love the theater and tell us they won’t go anywhere else.”

Galaxy features eight state-of-the-art theaters with leather seats capable of fully reclining. The establishment also sells beer and wine in the theater.

With the theater opening, new partnerships have been created.

Galaxy and Barley’s have been in talks about cross promotions, Cohen said.

“We advertise on our screens for Barley’s,” he said. “We are working on the ability for people to use points (from the casino) to get movie tickets.”

Since Galaxy is licensed to sell beer and wine, Skinner said that has allowed for other creative connections.

“They are selling Barley’s beers in the theater,” he said.

There are partnerships among the other businesses as well. Sonja McDonald, owner of Dip Sticks, hands out fliers telling customers about the boutique a few doors down.

The center is expected to have more openings this summer, including a yogurt shop.

“I think we are creating a destination for Henderson,” Skinner said.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.