What about Google's documented history of pushing competitors lower in search rankings?
Once you are big enough you don't need to worry about Google anymore. When I want to buy a product, I don't search on Google and then go to Amazon; I go to Amazon directly. Whoever "wins" the local services space is likely to be similar. People will just go to that site and skip Google completely.
I've learned to understand Google's actions by how such actions affect its ability to sell Ads.
Bing and DDG show it even lower. I doubt Microsoft or DDG would cooperate with Google on that.
For me I get three ads on the top, but then I get two regular search links to LA house cleaning on yelp before you get to the Google places block.
And even then, the second Google place in that block is Homejoy, and all the links for the places go to direct sites...you have to click the explicit link below each for the "Google+ page" to get to those pages.
Edit: Yikes, just saw the thread on EU antitrust accusations which got me thinking about the concept of a decentralized search engine. I found this: http://yacy.net/en/index.html