Developers hope Galaxy Luxury+ will revive center

Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ Theatre opened March 8 with the hopes of turning around the Green Valley Town Center shopping plaza, which has been mostly vacant for years.

“We have exceeded our own standards,” said Rafe Cohen, the president of Galaxy Theatres LLC. “I think as a new anchor, other businesses will benefit. I believe this will help restart the center.”

Phil Ralston, the president of American Nevada Co., which owns Green Valley Town Center, said the combination of Barley’s, the casino and microbrewery, and now Galaxy will contribute to boosting activity of the center.

“We are hoping the center will become active the way it was when it was first developed,” Ralston said.

Green Valley Town Center, 4500 E. Sunset Road, has 12 units, which range from 877 square feet to 27,000 if the spaces are combined.

Two spaces are available that could be used as restaurants.

Other than Barley’s, the area had been mostly vacant.

American Nevada started reaching out to prospective clients and was able to strike a deal with Galaxy, which has operated in Las Vegas along with parts of California and Texas.

With eight theaters, Galaxy was renovated from its original look to include stadium seating and leather reclining seats. Galaxy offers a digital fusion experience auditorium with wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor screens. Auditorium sizes vary from 60 to 200 seats and can be rented for private functions.

The theater also offers beer and wine selection.

“It just adds to the luxury experience,” Cohen said.

Cohen added that the theater brought 40 new jobs to the community.

Even though it hasn’t been open long, the theater’s presence already has increased the number of inquiries American Nevada has received from interested tenants.

Dip Sticks Bakery, which specializes in desserts on a stick or in a jar, opened its shop in the plaza Aug. 1.

Sonja McDonald remembers how vibrant the center was years ago, which prompted her to open her bakery’s first location there.

She was holding out for other stores to open around her.

“We had to put extra money in marketing to help us stay afloat,” McDonald said. “Business has been slow.”

Now that the theater has opened, McDonald said this is the anchor needed to see the center come back to life.

“They have only been open a week and we’ve already seen an increase in foot traffic,” she said. “It brings in people who aren’t just going to the movie but people who are waiting around for the movie to start.”

With the theater open, more tenants are expected to come in, Ralston said.

“We get about a dozen calls a day about the space,” Ralston said. “I can’t give any specific names, but I can tell you we do have a lot of interest.”

For more information, visit galaxytheatres.com.

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