A federal judge declined on Tuesday to grant an emergency injunction to stop the move of an elections center from Gateway Shopping Center.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan heard the concerns from attorneys representing Terranova Corp., which operates Gateway, during a hearing held on the day after a lawsuit was filed to stop the center from moving to One Imeson Center.
Corrigan said he didn't see the harm in holding an organized hearing within 30 days, a period in which Gateway will still be the landlord. Terranova operates Gateway as Gateway Retail LLC.
He said the request for the injunction was made in an "extremely short window" after the lawsuit was filed about 3 p.m. Monday in Orlando, docketed at 4 p.m. Monday and sought relief by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Corrigan said he didn't view the 5 p.m. deadline as "magical" before he scheduled a 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 hearing for a preliminary injunction.
Terranova attorney Joseph Goldstein said the request for an emergency injunction stemmed from the 5 p.m. start of Tuesday's City Council meeting, when the legislation for the move to One Imeson became law without Mayor Alvin Brown's signature.
Brown sent a letter to Council members Tuesday saying he would not sign the legislation because he stood by the Public Works' recommendation for the center to stay at Gateway.
The City must still provide a letter signed by Brown of its intent to leave and provide a 30-day notice, which Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said he hoped would be issued Wednesday.
Holland said he is concerned of how a delay could affect the build-out timeline for One Imeson, which is scheduled to be completed for a move-in date of Feb. 1
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