Endless Sales Pitches, Road Work: Las Vegas Grand Prix Still Dismantling Road Gear Month After F1 Race (With Clark County’s Approval)
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Nearly a month after the controversial F1 race in the Strip corridor, the race promoter is still removing traffic gear from the busy Flamingo Road/Koval Lane intersection.
And over on the Strip, the sidewalk is still closed in front of the Bellagio where a fancy club area was temporarily built by MGM Resorts International for fans to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The race was Nov. 23.
Today is Dec. 19.
The dismantling of the F1 race road gear is part of a 17-week F1 road traffic plan approved by the Clark County commissioners.
Not a single commissioner on the county’ seven-member governing board opposed F1’s request to turn 3.8 miles of some of the busiest roads in Las Vegas into a private race track and linear stadium complete with bleachers and upscale seating areas along the circuit.
Four businesses have filed lawsuits against F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and Clark County, alleging the race’s barriers and fencing restricted customers from reaching businesses and caused so much traffic that people declined to go to their businesses.
F1 continues to publicize misleading information about the “economic impact” of its race, now in its second year in Las Vegas. The economic impact is not the net economic gain to Las Vegas and failed to included all the financial losses suffered by businesses and workers who spent extra hours every day dealing with longer commutes caused by the race’s traffic equipment and track barriers.
F1 continues to publicize an event financial spending number that includes the construction price of the F1 paddock building off Koval Lane and Harmon Avenue where the race car garages and club levels are located. The economic number was derived by a local consultant hired by F1 who also has a contract with the LVCVA, the public tourism agency that has done publicity for the race.
A Las Vegas resident, Herb Thompson, wrote this on social media about the F1 race:
The F1 Las Vegas race did send holiday greetings to people on an email list.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix’s holiday cheer included a F1 sale pitch to put deposits down for tickets for next year’s race in November before Thanksgiving. That’s how F1 rolls.
The local daily newspaper, TV news stations and radio have all reported that the dismantling of traffic equipment a month after the race event is still impacting the flow of drivers on the Strip, Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane and Sands Avenue — the roads that made up the 3,8-mile circuit.
After Year 1 of the F1 race, the county commissioners knew the event harmed the financial health of and caused revenue losses for some businesses.
Yet, the Clark County commissioners approved permits and a race event.
No wonder the county was sued.
F1 faces the same lawsuit.
But F1 wants to wish you a happy holiday season — and hopes you put down a ticket deposit while you’re at it.
