Off-Strip restaurant sues Las Vegas Grand Prix, F1 and Clark County
Another local Southern Nevada business has filed a lawsuit relating to claimed negative financial impacts caused by last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Off-Strip restaurant, Ferraro’s Ristorante, filed a suit in District Court on Tuesday, against various entities, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Formula One’s parent company Liberty Media and Clark County, seeking over $50,000 in damages tied to lost business from last year’s race.
Ferraro’s is located on Paradise Road, just north of the Flamingo Road, and just east of where the temporary vehicular bridge was built on Flamingo over Koval Lane.
The suit claims Ferraro’s lost millions of dollars in business last year due to grand prix related infrastructure and road work. Ferraro’s claims that they depended on their property being accessible by customers and that access was interfered with during the grand prix-related work.
“The F1 construction was unpredictable and cripplingly disruptive,” the suit read. “The lane closures and complete road closures fluctuate continuously, sometimes different from hour to hour.”
The claim also states that two-thirds of the roads that provide east-west access to Ferraro’s were impacted and “effectively transformed from right-of-ways to parking lots.”
Formula One spending $500 million to secure land and construct their pit building and Grand Prix Plaza at the intersection of Koval and Harmon Avenue, shows they are committed to hosting the race in Las Vegas long term, the suit claims.
Additionally, the suit alleges that the use permit issued for the construction of the pit building was also used to carry out the nine months of road and infrastructure work tied to the race’s set up and tear down. Ferraro’s claims that the use permit didn’t authorize the build out of the entire 3.8-mile circuit, running mainly on public roads.
The months of road work and the presence of the temporary Flamingo bridge, diminished business at Ferraro’s and prevented the establishment from giving raises and bonuses, the lawsuit alleges. The suit also noted that inflation also played a role in the lack of increases in pay for Ferraro’s employees.
With Ferraro’s relying heavily on attendees to various trade shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the suit claims that the usually 1.7-mile, 10-minute drive between the two destinations turned into an hourslong affair.
Ferraro’s also had an issue with Clark County perceivably fast-tracking the process to approve the race and allowing for the months of road work tied to setting up the race within public right-of-way. The suit also seeks future damages since the county and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have noted they plan to make the grand prix an annual event for the foreseeable future.
Ferraro’s filing marks the third lawsuit by businesses seeking to reclaim financial losses they said they incurred as a result of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Off-strip hotel-casino, Ellis Island, filed a suit in May and earlier this month the owners of the owners of Stage Door casino and Battista’s Hole in the Wall, located near where the Flamingo bridge stood, and is planned to be built again in a few weeks, filed a lawsuit last month.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.