Now the project’s developer — Oklahoma City-based Veritas Development — has filed a lawsuit against Simon Property Group for anticompetitive conduct, violations of the Sherman Act, and tortious interference.
The suit contends that Simon is leveraging its national portfolio of properties to force certain tenants away from Oak by…
- Threatening to refuse to renew an existing lease if a tenant is considering opening retail locations in a competing shopping center, even if that competing shopping center is in a different geographic market;
- Increasing tenant’s rental rates or imposing unfavorable lease terms in retaliation for a tenant considering a competing shopping center; and
- Demanding a tenant forgo entering a new geographic market entirely if that tenant will not choose to do so at a property owned by SPG.
“As alleged in the complaint, Simon Property Group has wielded its vast national mall empire to bully retailers and strangle a transformative new competitor in Oklahoma City rather than face fair competition on the merits,” said Veritas’s lawyer, John Heuston.
“We brought this case to stop Simon’s anticompetitive campaign, restore a level playing field, and ensure that innovative projects like Oak — not corporate strong‑arm tactics — shape the future of Oklahoma City’s growth,” Heuston added…