Petition aims to stop Las Vegas F1 race until 2023 damage corrected
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Business owners who say they lost about $30 million because of a temporary bridge launched a petition on Monday to stop the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Ferraro’s Ristorante, Battista’s Restaurant and Stage Door Casino are behind the petition, as well as Madgy Amer, who lost all of his small businesses including Tex Mex Tequila on Las Vegas Boulevard, according to a Monday news release.
Business owners are targeting this year’s race, saying Clark County commissioners have not yet approved the special use permit required to run the race. The petition asks commissioners to deny the permit “until the issues from 2023 have been settled,” the news release said.
“To date, F1 has not held a public meeting or even sat in a room with all of us together who lost millions in 2023,” Gino Ferraro, owner of Ferraro’s Ristorante, said. “F1 is selling tickets and moving ahead as if these issues do not exist, as if we do not exist. My family restaurant has been here for 39-years, we matter.”
8 News Now reached out to county representatives for reaction, but a public information official said only, “The county does not have a comment.” We have also reached out to F1 officials, and this story will be updated when their comments are received.
Las Vegas Grand Prix submitted their traffic plan and special use permit application to the county last week, according to Clark County spokeswoman Stephanie Wheatley. “No timeline yet on when the documents will be made public,” she told 8 News Now.
Some of the same people involved in today’s petition threatened to sue F1, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the county in late February.
And a report detailing the county’s problems throughout preparations for last year’s race shows that F1 officials have a history of moving ahead — even when they don’t have the proper permits to do so. Last-minute changes and safety concerns were outlined in a report to the County Commission on March 19.
Formula One, owned by Liberty Media, has enjoyed enormous popularity created in part by the Netflix series, “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” and it returned to Las Vegas in November 2023. Locals questioned whether the traffic headaches were worth hosting the race, and the drumbeat has not subsided. Resorts that weren’t located right on the racecourse didn’t share in the high-dollar hotel business serving a clientele accustomed to luxury. And the bridge became a flashpoint for local business owners.
The bridge is expected to return this year despite protests from businesses in the area.
“We know many more people were negatively impacted by the F1 race in 2023,” Randy Markin, owner of Battista’s Restaurant and Stage Door Casino, said in a statement contained in the news release.
“Uber drivers, casino employees, and other business owners up and down the Las Vegas Strip wire negatively impacted,” Markin said. “We firmly believe that we need public input on this event that proved to be devastating to my business and others.”
Amer said F1 needs to be accountable for the damage caused to local businesses.
The petition on change.org had gathered 368 signatures as of 1 p.m. Monday. The text of the petition appears below.
Stop The Las Vegas Grand Prix (F1)
We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens of Las Vegas, hereby petition the local authorities to halt the organization and execution of the proposed Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 scheduled to take place in our city on November 21-23, 2024. Until a fair and undisruptive plan can be made to host this event without closing the Las Vegas Strip, the Clark County Commission should not issue a Special Use Permit or Event Permit.
Reasons for Petition:
Negative Impact on Local Businesses: Contrary to the purported economic benefits, hosting of the Las Vegas Grand Prix adversely affects small businesses, strip employees, and transportation companies, who face large revenue losses, decreased foot traffic, and general business interruptions, during the event period.”
Traffic Congestion and Disruption: The closing of the Resort Corridor and constructing a bridge at Flamingo and Koval disrupts the normal flow of transportation in our city. This disruption not only inconveniences residents but also poses logistical challenges for tourists, employees, and public transportation, and forcing businesses to incur revenue losses.
Community Input and Transparency: The decision to host such a large-scale event should involve transparent communication and active participation from the community. However, the lack of meaningful consultation with residents and stakeholders raises concerns about accountability and the democratic process.
In conclusion, we urge the authorities to heed our concerns and take immediate action to halt the organization of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Our city’s well-being and the interests of its residents must always come first.
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