topgolf proposal for albuquerque clears hurdle

A project that will see the construction of a large sports and entertainment complex in northeast Albuquerque has secured crucial support from the Albuquerque City Council.

After weeks of review, members of that council have given their ok to providing some $2.7 million in financial incentives to get the TopGolf project off the ground.

Planned for the intersection of Montano Road NE and Interstate 25, the complex will go up at the former site of the 14-acre Beach Waterpark amusement park, which closed in 2005.

The $2.7 million will consist of around $1.8 million in city gross receipts tax revenue, along with $500,000 in City of Albuquerque general fund money, and another $326,000 to come out of a city capital improvement program.

The project still awaits the final official approval of the Albuquerque Development Commission.

TopGolf is based in Dallas and has nearly 40 locations up and running across the U.S., offering a variety of entertainment options to an estimated 13 million customers every year.

Of those customers, according to TopGolf statistics, more than half classify themselves as being non-golfers.

The company’s facilities are currently located in 20 states, including Arizona, Colorado, and Texas, with plans in the works for additional sites in another seven states.

As planned, the Albuquerque TopGolf location will feature 72 climate-controlled hitting bays, several bars, a full-service restaurant, private meeting rooms and event space, and a rooftop terrace with a fire pit.

Construction on the new Albuquerque TopGolf could begin later this year or in early 2019.

By Garry Boulard

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