Clark County moves to allow more F1-hosted events, other businesses awaiting compensation from last year
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Clark County Commissioners are attempting to create more F1 business, which has some other business owners saying it overshadows efforts to compensate those disrupted from last year’s race.
The 300,000-square-foot pit building on Koval Lane and Harmon Avenue already hosts special events outside of the November race, but it costs the county time.
“I know there was talk of weddings,” Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said during Tuesday’s commission meeting, speaking of previous conversations with the Las Vegas Grand
Prix (LVGP). “Nightclubs, and luncheons, and concerts.”
Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson said these events almost always involve serving alcohol, requiring county staff to authorize the use each time. This is because there’s no category of
liquor license for the type of business the pit building is.
Typically, the type of liquor licenses awarded are based on the business type, such as hospitality or food and beverage. Gibson said creating a new category of liquor license would allow
LVGP to host special events at the pit building without county staff needing to authorize the use each time.
Efforts to cancel Las Vegas F1 races met with silence from county, leaders
“At a resort casino, they have carte blanche. They do whatever they want to do over there,” Gibson said after the meeting. “[The pit building] may not be the last of this kind of a
building that we see.”
While county staff was directed to draft the necessary ordinance, commissioners will eventually vote on creating that liquor license category, it’s not what businesses came to speak about
during the Tuesday meeting. Conversely, they rebuke the idea until a former idea is materialized.
That idea is reimbursing businesses who claim revenue loss from months of race-related disruptions around their property. Collectively, a group of them claim losses of $30 million.
Magdy Amer used to own Tex Mex Tequila on Las Vegas Boulevard and Koval Lane, the last turn off the Strip within the F1 circuit. He said he was forced to close because of access issues to his
business from F1 construction.
Petition aims to stop Las Vegas F1 race until 2023 damage corrected
“They say, ‘Oh, we brought money.’ Yeah, you brought money, not to us,” Amer said after the meeting. “You came in to do the race. Now all of a sudden you’re going to be concert? All of a
sudden, you’re going to be a retailer?”
Wade Bohn also spent months watching customers driving over his mart, Jay’s Mart, via the temporary bridge built directly next to it.
“(Pedestrians) are not stopping to be at my store on their way to the event,” Bohn said after the meeting, referencing those currently held at the pit building.
Ellis Island Casino was the first property to file a lawsuit against race organizers and Clark County last month. Business owners like Amer and Bohn said they’re preparing to follow suit.
‘How do we hold anyone accountable?’ Clark County report highlights internal conflicts with F1 2023
They claim no conversations have been held with either party to compensate them for the reported losses. Gibson said those conversations did begin with Liberty Media and “others” months ago, though they hit a “dead end” when these businesses declined to sign non-disclosure agreements.
“That’s their right, but it’s not so business-like to do business with somebody who won’t agree that the discussions we’re having and the settlement we’re doing it ought to be something
that’d be confidential between us,” Gibson said.
Small businesses voice concern over impact of ongoing construction, expansion in downtown Las Vegas
The question of “who” should potentially reimburse businesses seems to be the dilemma. Commissioners 8 News Now have spoken to indicate Liberty Media should be responsible.
Representatives of both Liberty Media and LVGP frequently decline or do not respond to requests for comment from 8 News Now, including on Tuesday.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
