Casino planned for former Sears at Pheasant Lane Mall to be called 'The Nash'
Jul. 6—A new casino coming to the shuttered Sears at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua will be called The Nash Casino.
The charitable gaming venue, which will take up 130,000 square feet of the 180,000-square-foot, two-story space, is scheduled to open this winter.
During the permitting process, ECL Entertainment used the name "The Mint."
The casino is a $250 million investment that is expected to create "approximately 600 to 700 new career-launching jobs," contributing $22 million annually in payroll and related costs, according to a news release.
The two-story complex will feature historic horse racing machines, table games and three restaurants, which will range from fine dining to grab-and-go.
"Our goal is to create a vibrant space that not only provides top-notch entertainment and drives economic growth in the region but also significantly supports the greater Nashua community through charitable contributions," Managing Partner Marc Falcone said in a statement.
EC NH Real Estate Holding Inc., bought the former Sears anchor spot for $11.5 million in November, according to the Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds.
ECL Entertainment and Clairvest, a Toronto-based private equity firm, bought the Lucky Moose Casino and Tavern and The River Casino & Sports Bar, both in Nashua, with the intention to eventually open a "leading gaming operation in Southern New Hampshire."
In all, the establishment will have 1,200 slot machines and 62 table games, according to the plans. Future plans could add 300 more slot machines.
The company has various gaming operations in Las Vegas and Kentucky.
The mall's anchors are Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Target and Macy's. The Sears store, which opened in 1986, closed in 2020.
Interior work on The Nash is well underway, and an employment information center will open later this summer near Target.
Once open, the facility is expected to generate approximately $24 million annually for more than 100 local nonprofits, according to the release.
