Mobile City Council unanimously approves Topgolf incentives

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) — The City Council on Tuesday delivered the final piece of a financing package that will bring Topgolf to Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

The unanimous vote approves a $1.25 million stimulus package, equal to the equal amount approved by the Mobile County Commission last week.

The City Council on Tuesday delivered the final piece of a financing package that will bring Topgolf to Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

The unanimous vote approves a $1.25 million stimulus package, equal to the equal amount approved by the Mobile County Commission last week. The total taxpayer stake of $2.5 million falls somewhere between the extremes. Some cities and counties have offered incentives worth several million dollars, while others have been offered the popular nightspot with no public money.

Councilors described their vote as a tool for economic development and an effort to address the city’s nightlife shortage. District 2 Councilor William Carroll suggested that the Mobile Chamber move its annual golf tournament to the venue when it opens.

“I can’t wait for the entertainment value alone that Topgolf is going to present to this council,” he said.

The Texas-based company plans to construct a two-story building in the stables of the former Hollywood Stadium 18 displacement theater in McGowin Park off Interstate 65. It will have 60 lanes where customers will compete in games with goals in the outfield. . The facility will also have miniature golf and an outdoor patio, along with a full-service restaurant and bar.

Topgolf did not send a representative to the meeting and the company did not respond to questions from FOX10 News. But District 7 Councilor Gina Gregory read a statement from the company breaking its commitment to create 150 full- and part-time jobs. She said 30 of those jobs would be full-time positions with an annual salary of $50,000 or more.

The rest, she said, would be full- and part-time jobs that pay “up to” $27 an hour. Waiters in the restaurant who work more than 28 ½ hours a week are eligible for benefits.

“I think this is a good investment for the city,” she says. “I certainly understand where the concerns are coming from.” by the Mobile County Commission. The total taxpayer stake of $2.5 million falls somewhere between the extremes. Some cities and counties have offered incentives worth several million dollars, while others have been offered the popular nightspot with no public money.

Councilors described their vote as a tool for economic development and an effort to address the city’s nightlife shortage. District 2 Councilor William Carroll suggested that the Mobile Chamber move its annual golf tournament to the venue when it opens.

“I can’t wait for the entertainment value alone that Topgolf is going to present to this council,” he said.

The Texas-based company plans to construct a two-story building in the stables of the former Hollywood Stadium 18 displacement theater in McGowin Park off Interstate 65. It will have 60 lanes where customers will compete in games with goals in the outfield. . The facility will also have miniature golf and an outdoor patio, along with a full-service restaurant and bar.

Topgolf did not send a representative to the meeting and the company did not respond to questions from FOX10 News. Property developer John Whitson, director of RealtyLink, left the meeting without comment.

District 7 councilor Gina Gregory read a statement from the company breaking its commitment to create 150 full- and part-time jobs. She said 30 of those jobs would be full-time positions with an annual salary of $50,000 or more.

The rest, she said, would be full- and part-time jobs that pay “up to” $27 an hour. Waiters in the restaurant who work more than 28 ½ hours a week are eligible for benefits.

“I think this is a good investment for the city,” she says. “I certainly understand where the concerns are coming from.”

Though the vote was unanimous, some councilors said they share some of the reluctance to spend taxpayers’ money on a retail business. But they said that Topgolf is a unique opportunity.

District 4 Councilor Ben Reynolds cites Chamber projections that the development will generate $750,000 in sales tax revenue.

“That line is difficult to define, I think,” he said after the meeting. “I’ve struggled with the question and tried to find a way to draw a hard line. But in this case it was, do we want it or not. Either we’re behind so many cities in this country advocating for Topgolf to be there, or we’ll stop at the sign and say, ‘Hey, we want you here.’”

District 5 Councilor Joel Daves said, “I had that question myself when it first went. I am generally against the use of incentives for retail activities.”

Daves told reporters he doesn’t like the idea of ​​urging outside companies to come to Mobile to compete with established companies.

“But Topgolf is different,” he said. “So yes, it’s retail, but it’s different in the sense that it’s a new concept for mobile, and so when it comes, it won’t compete directly with businesses.”

During the meeting, Council President CJ Small called Topgolf a “game-changer” for the region.

“We always see money going out of our state, going all the time to Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia, you know, from our area going to casinos and lotteries,” he said. “But now we have something that will attract those people to come and see our area for a family-friendly atmosphere. And I can’t wait for them to get here.”

District 6 Councilor William Carroll said people are impressed when they hear that Mobile is getting a Top Wave.

“They say, ‘Wow,'” he said. “You know, it’s impressive that we can bring an agency like Topgolf into town.”

Updated at 1:14 PM with additional comments.

Jones predicted that the city would make a profit on its investment over the next four or five years, regardless of what happens next. But he said the benefits extend beyond dollars and cents.

“We also have a gap in this city to provide recreation like this to young families, to kids who will use this,” he said. “It is not a location for golfers. Golfers use it. But probably 80 percent of the people who go to this location have never touched a golf club, never been on a golf course.”

Demolition of the cinema could start in October, construction will start in December. Topgolf hopes to open in the last three months of next year.

—

Download the FOX10 Weather app. Get life-saving severe weather alerts and your location alerts wherever you are. Available for free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Copyright 2022 WALA. All rights reserved.