Court Ruling Ends Amarillo College’s Legal Fight With Film Studio

It's been one of the more interesting sagas to watch in Amarillo this year, and now it's officially come to an end. Back in late June, Amarillo College moved to have Sharpened Iron Studios evicted from the building they had been leasing out to the movie studio.

Sharpened Iron Studios then punched back at Amarillo College, contending they've been following the parameters of the lease and shouldn't be evicted. This opened up what would be a bit of a legal battle.

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Why Did Amarillo College Seek To Evict

According to AC, the lease that was signed back in 2020, and amended in 2023, stated that Sharpened Iron must invest nearly $8 million into the building for renovations and to make it better. Sharpened Iron Studios agreed to this.

The work, which was supposed to be completed by May 31, 2025, was apparently not done to the satisfaction of Amarillo College. Because of this, Amarillo College converted the lease to month-to-month. That was when Sharpened Iron Studios fired back, saying they'd invested over $3.5 million into the building, but said asbestos and other infrastructure issues were the responsibility of Amarillo College, and they couldn't move any further without those things being fixed.

The Verdict Is In

The two entities decided to take it to court and let the judge decide who was right and who was wrong. Now, the verdict has come in, and Amarillo College came out the winner, with Sharpened Iron Studios being told they need to vacate the premises immediately.

In another move, the judge ruled that any motions or counterclaims against Amarillo College have already been denied, leaving no space for Sharpened Iron Studios to continue their fight against the college.