Topgolf Groundbreaking will Give Momentum to New Development in Ridgeland
Aug 31, 2023
by: Lisa Monti, Mississippi Business Journal
Developers expect to break ground in October on Mississippi’s first Topgolf entertainment venue that will anchor Prado Vista at Ridgeland, a planned 77-acre mixed-use development by PraCon Global Investment Group.
PraCon CEO Gabriel Prado said the start of construction will give momentum to their entire project, which is near Interstate 55 where Colony Park Boulevard and Sunnybrook Road intersect.
Jackson-based PraCon has been putting plans for the retail and residential project together for the past two years.
“We have been working with the city and up to this point everything has been up for review,” Prado said.
In March, PraCon officials announced they were asking the city for an overlay district designation, which was granted in April.
Most recently, the development made its way through the architectural review board.
Prado said they have been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for eight months, mitigating wetlands on the site.
“Our hope is to finalize that in September so we can break ground in October,” he said.
Prado expects it will take Topgolf’s construction crews about 12 months to build the 60-bay entertainment venue and have it open in September or October 2024. When it opens, the attraction will have around 200 employees.
Prado said that “once the shovel is in the ground, we will have momentum” to move ahead with the development that will include a national grocery chain, two high-end hotels, more than 100,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space, an entertainment venue, 228 homes for a sale and a river walk.
Prado puts the total investment “above $100 million.”
“This entertainment venue will be not only for Jackson but for the state as a whole,” he said. “It will take a couple of years to get everything done.”
Prado’s background includes working in economic development for the City of Clinton and five years in the international trade division of the Mississippi Development Authority. Prado, whose late father was also a developer, said his family has roots in Mexico and California.
Prado said his late father was also a developer.
“We are very happy to call Mississippi home and to help retain some of our young talent from moving to Tennessee or Alabama,” he said.
The family-owned and operated private investment group, which is headquartered in Fondren, is also developing the old McRae’s building on Meadowbrook into apartments.
Prado first came to Jackson to attend Belhaven on a tennis scholarship. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the university and last year was named Belhaven Alumnus of the Year. He also has a master’s degree in management from Harvard Extension School.
Prado said others had courted Topgolf to come to Mississippi, but none were successful until PraCon’s pitch.
“There have been several developers who tried to get them here. I think the biggest thing was we showed this wasn’t a standalone project, that we had a vision for the 77 acres,” he said.
He also credited the support PraCon received from property owners and the city of Ridgeland as well as his “top-notch talented team” for moving the development forward.
“The Prado Vista mixed-use development will be a wonderful addition to the City of Ridgeland and will be the first venue of this kind for the area, bringing a positive economic impact for Ridgeland and the state,” said Mayor Gene McGee. “We take pride in Ridgeland being home to many quality developments like the Township at Colony Park and the Renaissance. This development will surely be another great destination for citizens and visitors alike.”
The Ridgeland Topgolf project will be similar to the one the Dallas-based company announced in February that it was building in Mobile. It will open in late 2023, joining Topgolf in Birmingham and Huntsville already in Alabama.
Topgolf bills itself as the modern golf entertainment leader and offers golf and not-golf options for customers of all ages and athletic ability.
The typical Topgolf venue has 60 outdoor climate-controlled hitting bays for year-round play. Players take aim for giant outfield targets, and scorekeeping is handled by Topgolf’s Toptracer technology, which traces the ball’s flight path and distance.
Besides its signature golf game, there are interactive games like “Angry Birds.”
Topgolf will also have a nine-hole mini-golf course.
Under the “not golf” category, there is a full-service restaurant as well as drinks and music for entertainment. There are private event spaces for parties and business meetings.
The Ridgeland venue will employ about 200 people and will be among the 80-plus Topgolf locations around the world. The company estimates players will hit 50 billion golf balls between 2022 and 2025.