Topgolf Charlotte-University, Finalist: Top Hospitality Development

Topgolf Charlotte-University set the stage for the University City Entertainment District, a planned multiuse, dense, urban development. “Topgolf serves as the catalyst and anchor tenant of the overall University City Entertainment District,” says Jay Priester, president of Cambridge Properties.

The 63,000-square-foot facility has 102 hitting bays over three stories. It marks Topgolf’s second location in Charlotte.

Priester notes Topgolf has a regional draw, attracts a wide range of demographics and provides a much-needed corporate event venue to serve both University City and other parts of Charlotte via the light-rail line.

It’s all part of Cambridge Properties’ efforts to transform a 45-acre site between the Lynx Blue Line and Interstate 85 in University City. Plans call for residential, hospitality, retail, entertainment, and food and beverage offerings connected by a multiuse path and green space.

Cambridge is moving forward with the adaptive reuse of an existing industrial building adjacent to Topgolf. The MacFarlane Building will house 100,000 square feet of restaurant and retail uses.

Construction on a four-story, 343-unit apartment complex will begin in early 2023. Parking expansion at the site is also underway. The price tag for the first phase of construction was about $200 million. Future phases could add another hotel and an additional 100,000 square feet of restaurants and retail.

KEY PLAYERS

• Developer/owner: UCED-1 LLC, owner; Cambridge Properties, developer
• Architect: Aria Group Architects
• Design/build contractor: ARCO/Murray
• Financial partners: Parks Cos. and First Horizon Bank
• Leasing brokers: Cambridge Properties, landlord’s broker; The Shopping Center Group, tenant’s broker
• Engineer: LandDesign
• Lawyer: Blanco Tackabery

BY THE NUMBERS

• 102 hitting bays
• 3 stories
• 63,000 square feet

By Jennifer Thomas

Read this article as it originally appears in the Charlotte Business Journal.