City of OKC Votes To Settle Brewery Lawsuit As Automobile Alley Construction Continues

The city of Oklahoma City agreed to pay out tens of thousands of dollars Tuesday to settle a lawsuit with a local brewery after the company claims prolonged street work took a toll on their bottom line.

The owners of Venessa House Beer said in a lawsuit, that 2019 repairs to a stretch of 8th Street in front of the brewery were expected to take 60 days. Nearly 400 days later, the brewery claims they lost more than $75,000 in revenue.

Tuesday, without any discussion, the OKC City Council voted unanimously to pay the brewery $60,000 to settle the 2022 lawsuit, without admitting liability.

According to court documents, the city began the project without proper surveys or mapping of sewer and water lines opening a prolonged can of worms for construction crews.

Vanessa House claimed during the construction, car traffic was closed in both directions, and sidewalks were closed or removed entirely.

A spokeswoman for the City of Oklahoma City said they cannot comment on pending litigation.

Just around the corner from Vanessa House, construction is underway on Broadway Ave, but store owners say they remain open for business and are encouraged by the progress being made by construction crews.

“We survived the streetcar construction, we survived COVID, so this is just pedal to the metal. We will figure it out,” Plenty Mercantile Co-Owner Brittney Matlock said.

She said the store and event venue had a three-year heads-up and were prepared for the construction along the storefront. She also said crews have learned from past projects.

“Broadway will never be completely closed, so there will always be northbound and southbound traffic,” Matlock said. “It just looks a little intimidating, but you can still get through both sides, and you can get to the sidewalks and walk into any storefront that you want to.”

She said many shops like hers also have online and curbside pick-up. Matlock said she’s hopeful construction crews will be moved on ahead of the holiday shopping season.

“We know that they’re moving as quickly as they possibly can and ultimately it’ll make the whole district safer and more shoppable,” she said.