As the deadline looms for the shutdown of Primm with the planned July 4 permanent closure of resorts and amenities at Nevada’s border gateway from Southern California, a representative of the family that owns the land is cautioning the public not to get too excited about recently disclosed proposals to save the town.
Cory Clemetson, president of Primm landowner Primm South and grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm, said Thursday that a deal isn’t imminent and that plans involving any specific potential partner “are overstated and premature.”
Clemetson issued a three-paragraph statement early Thursday and didn’t take questions.
While he didn’t refer to it specifically by name, Clemetson appeared to be responding to a proposal from LV Petroleum LLC, a company that operates 84 truck stops in 34 states, including three in Nevada, to operate the hotels, casinos, fueling operation, retail outlets and other amenities at Primm.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal Wednesday, LV Petroleum CEO Kris Roach described the company’s vision “to restore that whole exit and make Primm great again” and “operate everything at the exit … pretty much from farm to table.”
Roach said he hoped to seal a deal quickly to avoid any shutdown by July 4.
The planned shutdown of Primm was revealed May 5 when the current tenant of the property, Las Vegas-based Affinity Gaming, announced it no longer was financially feasible for the company to operate the amenities at Primm. An estimated 344 employees would lose their jobs if the Primm amenities close.
Clemetson said there are a number of prospective partners that have made proposals for Primm. The LV Petroleum plan received attention because it was referenced in a special Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting May 21 on an unrelated licensing matter involving Affinity and Control Board members took the opportunity to speak with Affinity executives about the Primm situation.
Clemetson said the Primm family is doing everything it can to save the town.
“On behalf of the Primm family, I want to acknowledge the tremendous amount of interest and support we have received since our tenant, Affinity Gaming, and its principal owner, Z Capital, announced on May 5 that they intend to close most of the properties at Primm that they have been operating and leasing from us by July 4, 2026,” Clemetson’s statement said.
“Like other Nevada community leaders, residents and visitors, we obviously don’t want that to happen. Since that relatively sudden announcement, we have been working tirelessly to find qualified partners to operate as many of these businesses as possible. We are doing everything in our power to prevent people from losing their jobs – and in many cases, being displaced from their homes at Primm.
“We appreciate the many potential partners who have expressed varying levels of interest in operating one or more properties at Primm. However, recent reports suggesting that an agreement with any specific potential partner may be imminent are overstated and premature. Our family is currently considering opportunities involving multiple well-established operators that have successfully operated similar hotel-casino properties in Nevada. Rest assured that we will continue to explore all viable options as we work toward the best possible solution, especially for the hundreds of Primm employees and their families dealing with this difficult situation.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
