Businesses File Lawsuits Against Formula 1, Clark County For Las Vegas Grand Prix Mess In 2023, Alleging Race Event Cost Businesses Millions Of Dollars And County Improperly Fast-Tracked Permit Process
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Shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
Two businesses in the Strip corridor that allege they lost millions of dollars in revenue because of Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix have sued Clark County and Liberty Media-owned F1, accusing both of costing their businesses revenues because the race interfered with customers reaching their businesses.
The plaintiffs were Battista’s Hole in a Wall restaurant and Stage Door Casino, businesses on Flamingo Road between Las Vegas Boulevard and Koval Lane. They claim in the lawsuit they lost millions of dollars. Here’s an excerpt from the 32-page complaint:
A spokesperson for the legal document filed Tuesday, Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, said in a statement, “Unfortunately, Las Vegas Grand Prix and Clark County gave Battistas Hole in the Wall and Stage Door Casino no choice but to litigate. These small business owners brought their substantial damages and the existential threat caused by F1 to their businesses to the attention of Clark County and F1.
“For months they sought a fair and just solution to this devastating issue, however, to no avail. Repeated assurances of a resolution never materialized. They have no choice but to ask an impartial third party to remedy their financial losses and to prevent their businesses from going under because of F1,” the statement said released Wednesday.
The lawsuit outlined how the race hurt the two businesses, including how the Las Vegas Grand Prix built a fence around both the Battista’s and Stage Door businesses:
The lawsuit alleges Clark County “fast-tracked the approval of the F1 race without requiring F1 to comply with the standard permitting and approval process.”
Here’s more of the allegations.
More allegations in the lawsuit:
A county spokesperson, Jennifer Cooper, told LVSportsBiz.com, “Clark County is unable to comment on pending litigation.”
LVSportsBiz.com contacted Las Vegas Grand Prix about being sued by the two businesses and a spokesperson said the race will not comment on pending litigation.
Randy Markin, an owner of Battista’s restaurant and general manager of Stage Door Casino, declined to comment.
But in an LVSportsBiz.com story in January eight months ago, Markin told us, “We as a community got bamboozled, we got fooled. This has not ever happened before. It just steamrolled out of control.”
There are other lawsuits lined up to be filed this week. LVSportsBiz.com broke an exclusive in mid-July when we reported these lawsuits were coming.
LVSportsBiz.com is expecting Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection and Ferraro’s Ristorante to also file lawsuits against F1 and Clark County.
The grand prix was a 3.8-mile track in the Strip corridor, that included sections of Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane, Harmon Avenue and Sands Avenue. F1 took nine months last year in 2023 to pave the track and build the course, while there was another month to dismantle the race course, disrupting commerce and transportation like no other event in Las Vegas history.
Preparation for this year’s 90-minute race started this week, with Las Vegas Grand Prix representatives saying the disruptions will be reduced to a 17-week period outlined in a transportation management plan that was made public by Clark County only recently after F1 submitted the plan May 1.
This is not the first lawsuit against F1 and Clark County. Ellis Island hotel-casino on Koval Lane sued both parties in May.
LVCVA head Steve Hill and Las Vegas consultant Jeremy Aguero, Hill’s friend, sold Clark County Commissioners on the road race event in the Strip corridor, crowing about big economic benefits to the area.
But there were winners and losers. Big hotels like the Bellagio, Wynn, and Caesars reported the race delivered more business for that weekend in November. But that was countered by many hotels that said they did not benefit, especially those in downtown Las Vegas, about three miles north of the Strip.
