In our view, the TopGolf development within the proposed River District (and adjacent to the Lower Garden District) is controversial because it was enacted with virtually no input from the public. This project was “sprung” on the neighborhood and allowed through the use of a Text Amendment to the New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Furthermore, it is our view that the project is a betrayal of the public trust as the neighborhood and city were presented a drastically different plan for this development and parcel in particular that made no mention of TopGolf. Instead, the developer’s original plan presented to the neighborhood, prior to the text amendment, touted much-needed and much-desired affordable housing, a grocery store, small businesses and other community benefits. We feel that the developers basically used bait-and-switch tactics by showing residents a great plan for affordable and workforce housing, a grocery store, greenspace, etc, but then changed the plans to a previously-denied TopGolf once they slid through a text amendment.

Yes, some communities have enacted local laws explicitly preventing TopGolf facilities due to environmental and development concerns. Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2023/06/28/topgolf-timnath-special-election-fence-ban/

We want the affordable housing component coupled with the grocery store and other retail that was presented to the neighborhood in order to win our early support. It fits better with the residential feel of our neighborhood, benefits more residents of this city and reserves quality of life for all. See below for the original Parcel 1A renderings presented to LGD neighbors in March 2022 clearly showing affordable housing and grocery store or watch the presentation itself. Also for more information on what residents of the Lower Garden District were originally presented and prefer, see the results of our January 2024 LGD Survey or explore the Timeline.

This is an important and valuable piece of publicly-owned land that is being used for the benefit of private developers, and developed in a way that will not make the best use of its land area. There are many better uses for this land that would not impact the neighborhood so negatively; uses that could add vital housing, infrastructure and community services that would improve residents’ quality of life. These uses could provide more jobs and more tax revenue to the city instead of one business occupying 12.5 acres, which btw will largely still be empty and inaccessible acreage.

Residents and neighbors were originally told that affordable housing, a grocery store, other retail stores and greenspace would be built on this parcel. See below for the original Parcel 1A renderings presented to LGD neighbors in March 2022 clearly showing affordable housing and grocery store or watch an excerpt from the presentation itself. Also for more information on what residents of the Lower Garden District were originally presented and prefer, see the results of our January 2024 LGD Survey or explore the Timeline.

TopGolf originally considered a location in the old Times Picayune building on Howard Avenue. That deal fell through. At a January 2024 town hall meeting, a TopGolf representative stated that the company had been trying to secure this exact location in the Lower Garden District since 2017, but was denied multiple times. This effort changed mysteriously in TopGolf’s favor with the passage of the text amendment in 2023. For more insight into the early phases of this project, visit the Timeline page. Sources: https://canalstreetbeat.com/25-million-top-golf-entertainment-complex-slated-for-times-picayune-building/ https://www.nola.com/news/business/new-orleans-topgolf-project-revived-by-convention-center/article_4a061b40-ad6c-11ed-b64b-f32af7a871c5.html

While “shady deal” may be an opinion, it is clear that a number of steps took place with less-than-ideal public input for development of public land. TopGolf had been unsuccessfully working to build a facility adjacent to the convention center for years, facing opposition from many parties including the former Louisiana Governor. A January 2023 “text amendment” to the “Convention Center Neighborhood (CCN)” overlay district included a subtle provision to allow 175 ft screening and poles for outdoor amusement or sports facilities for public safety purposes. Although TopGolf was not publicly named and was not included in the River District proposal for the Convention Center land development, this text amendment, which received limited public awareness and vetting, appeared to be the missing piece to allow a TopGolf facility “by-right” on the subject parcel. The Convention Center Neighborhood overlay district was originally created in 2017 as a prelude to helping secure a developer. Despite owning the land, the Convention Center appears to have removed themselves from the process and assigned decisions of “highest and best use” of the public property directly to the private company RDNI, LLC. From the Times-Picayune article TopGolf back on for Convention Center’s River District, setting up new clash over rival project: “Michael Sawaya, the president and general manager of the Convention Center, who four years ago had negotiated a tentative deal with TopGolf only to see it scuttled, said the current deal is no longer his concern. ‘We have leased the site to River District and they have leased it to TopGolf,’ said Sawaya. ‘It is a pure deal with no tax breaks and no incentives and it's none of my business.’” The River District development as a whole has received considerable public scrutiny over their lack of transparency, rushed processes, and exclusion of City Council from the district’s Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA). From the Times-Picayune article City Council slams River District developers for lack of transparency over tax subsidies: “‘Regardless of the merits of this project, the speed and the afterthought and the catching up of this entire process has really soured a lot of people,’ [At-Large Councilmember JP] Morrell said. ‘It’s unfortunate because it means that every other thing done with this project is going to be under intense scrutiny going forward.’” For. more information on this process, visit our Timeline page.

No. We are opposed to building an intrusive, hulking, manufactured entertainment facility that directly abuts our neighborhood on land that was originally presented with great fanfare by developers and welcomed eagerly by the residents of the LGD as affordable and workforce housing, relevant community businesses and services, infrastructure improvements and public greenspace. We want the public land of this neighborhood and city developed responsibly and used appropriately with the most positive impact to residents’ quality of life and success of businesses. We want to preserve, enhance and expand the positive qualities that make the LGD and New Orleans a great place to live, visit, work and play. The residents of the Lower Garden District overwhelmingly supported RDNI's original plan of affordable housing and a grocery store and any attempt to insinuate that opposition to the TopGolf as being anti-progress or anti-development is disingenuous at best. For more information on the affordable housing and grocery store that was originally presented to LGD residents, see the slides below or watch an excerpt from RDNI's original presentation. For more on the residents of the LGD's support of affordable and workforce housing and grocery store in lieu of a TopGolf, as well as their perspective on the lack of feedback opportunities, see the results of our January 2024 LGD Neighborhood Survey and explore the Timeline.

Yes. According to numerous news reports and social media comments, TopGolfs across the country have received complaints about working conditions, sexual harassment, noise pollution, light pollution, litter, driving hazards at night from the bright lights, environmental issues and others. Sources: https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/hillsboro-topgolf-sued-for-15m-childs-skull-allegedly-fractured-by-golf-club/ https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/report-54-of-topgolf-employees-report-being-sexually-harassed/611136/ https://journalstar.com/topgolf-settles-nationwide-class-action-suit-alleging-practice-of-paying-below-minimum-wage/article_e9dfdd59-6f73-579c-bd60-a5251124b084.html https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/top-golf-caught-violating-federal-labor-law/IG4PRZ3SJBHZDGZZ5M6B7T3NFE/ https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/05/topgolf-hillsboro-fined-21330-for-child-labor-violation.html

Absolutely not. Residents were given an opportunity to voice concerns about the text amendment, which allowed TopGolf by right, but the public did not know about TopGolf prior to passage of the text amendment in Jan 2023. RDNI announced in the media in Feb 2023 that TopGolf would be built on this plot of land. Residents were only aware of the previously proposed affordable housing and commercial use at the now-proposed TopGolf location. Also for more information on what residents of the Lower Garden District were originally presented as well as their perspective on the lack of feedback opportunities, see the results of our January 2024 LGD Survey or explore the Timeline.

No. The LGD encompasses an amazing diversity of ages, ethnic backgrounds, economic means, gender identities, families, single folks, and small- and medium-sized businesses. Not to mention the diverse historic architecture and public spaces. According to a recent census, the LGD is roughly 4000-4500 households with roughly 98% being employed with a median household income of $65,778/yr. and about 33% making $3,333 or less per month according to data compiled by The Data Center and Point2Homes from U.S. Census Bureau surveys. The residents of the Lower Garden District overwhelmingly supported RDNI's original plan of affordable housing and a grocery store and any attempt to insinuate that opposition to the TopGolf as being anti-progress or anti-development is disingenuous at best. For more about the LGD resident's support of the original development plan, see the results of our January 2024 LGD Neighborhood Survey. For more on the original Parcel 1A renderings presented to LGD neighbors in March 2022 which included affordable housing and grocery store, watch an excerpt from the presentation itself.

No. When asked for examples of comparable locations, TopGolf provided the examples of their location in Baltimore, MD as well as their location in Atlanta, GA. Neither location is in a residential neighborhood but are instead in industrial areas (non-walkable neighborhoods featuring strip malls, industrial centers, professional sports stadiums, etc.) Additionally, neither is located in close proximity to the city's downtown centers, with the TopGolf in Baltimore located 2 miles from downtown and the TopGolf in Atlanta located over 4 miles from downtown, Buckhead, and Midtown.

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center owns the land which means it’s state property, but it has been leased to RDNI. RDNI has in turn leased it to Topgolf. We believe the lease to RDNI is 99 years. We are unsure of the length of the lease from RDNI to TopGolf.

TopGolf’s poles are planned to be approximately 175 feet tall (about 15 stories). They will be almost 20% taller than the National WWII Museum canopy which is approximately 148 feet tall. It's also worth noting that if the netting and poles were placed at water level of the Mississippi River, they would likely scrape the roadway of the CCC.

While TopGolf’s hours vary by location and have not been announced for New Orleans, some locations are open until 1 am every day of the week. This would imply that patrons and staff could be in or around the facility past 1 or 2 am. The facilities typically open mid-morning (9-10 am).

The TopGolf project covers about 12.5 acres or approximately a quarter of the entire River District development land (7.5 acres for the driving range and another 5 acres for the parking lot.). The building containing the driving bays, restaurant, and retail is only approximately 70,000 sq. ft. spread across 3 floors. The vast majority of land (over 95% of the land’s “footprint”) has been allocated for non-building features such as the over- 2- football- fields- long turf outfield and the surface parking lot.

Yes, there are numerous golf courses, driving ranges and an indoor range facility across the city and metro region. The New Orleans Tourism website lists 11 places to golf during your stay in New Orleans.

No.

Information related to the design of the poles and netting has been limited. Adjacent high-voltage power lines and residences are within 175 ft of the poles and could be struck if the poles “fell over” in their direction. TopGolf states they design their poles with consideration of local conditions but nonetheless numerous reports of poles and nets collapsing during inclement weather exist. Sources: https://www.news-press.com/picture-gallery/weather/hurricane/2022/10/02/topgolf-fort-myers-hurricane-ian-shreds-giant-nets/8156055001/ https://journalrecord.com/2015/12/driving-winds-storm-damage-closes-topgolf-general-news/

TopGolf has released a limited number of project renderings. They have not provided requested renderings from ground level from all sides of the facility nor answered our requests for additional information such as how far the nets and poles will be visible and whether they will be visible from say Coliseum Square Park, Boettner Park or other areas. Of note and for context is that the netting and poles if placed at water level of the Mississippi River would likely scrape the roadway of the CCC.

Yes. While the vertical nets are intended to prevent stray balls, they do not include a “top”. YouTube contains a number of videos of people intentionally and successfully hitting balls over the nets and into the surrounding area.

To send a comment to City Council, after clicking the link below, read the guidelines carefully, then scroll down to the "Have a comment? What's on your mind?" box at the very bottom of the page. You must include an agenda item #, which will not be available until early next week. https://council.nola.gov/home/ Please do so ASAP. Submit between Mon/Tue March 18-19 once the agenda has been posted online and you MUST include the agenda item # for your comment to entered into the record. You can also email the City Council ASAP to voice your concerns. Find the contact information for your representative and their staff here: https://council.nola.gov/councilmembers/

Cm. Harris insists that there will be a contractual obligation. We have learned that the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) for this development—to which the New Orleans City Council is not currently a party—is supposed to include the obligation and a “claw-back” provision if RDNI does not deliver on affordable housing, so that tax subsidies are recovered. In short, there is currently no guarantee that any housing, affordable or otherwise, will ever be built by RDNI on any portion of the River District development.

Not likely. We’ve been told there’s a provision in the contract with the developers that requires the affordable housing to be built, but we don’t know if that’s true. Cm. Harris insists that there will be a contractual obligation. We have learned that the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) for this development—to which the New Orleans City Council is not currently a party—is supposed to include the obligation and a “claw-back” provision if RDNI does not deliver on affordable housing, so that tax subsidies are recovered. In short, there is currently no guarantee that any housing, affordable or otherwise, will ever be built by RDNI on any portion of the River District development.

To the best of our understanding, Cm. Harris has been told affordable housing will be included in future developments of the River District. We agree with Cm. Harris on the need for affordable housing and continue to support her efforts to bring it, but not at the expense of a bad development. Cm. Lesli Harris can be contacted at (504) 658-1020 or Lesli.Harris@nola.gov

TopGolf will be built directly in the middle of a major bird migration route called The Mississippi Flyway that connects Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The 175-foot-tall nets can easily trap birds. In addition, the bright lights can disorient birds and increase the possibility of them getting trapped in the netting. The Mississippi Flyway is used by 325 bird species and roughly 40 percent of shorebirds and waterfowl in North America. According to Audubon, almost half of the bird species in North American spend part of their lives in this flyway. Sources: https://www.threeriversparks.org/blog/mississippi-flyway-bird-highway-through-twin-cities

Yes they do. Multiple local, state, and national wildlife organizations have voiced opposition to TopGolf's nets including Colorado Parks and Wildlife and The Audubon Society. Sources: https://www.wbtw.com/news13-digital-first/it-breaks-my-heart-osprey-dies-following-exhaustive-rescue-effort/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/02/08/orange-county-firefighters-rescue-hawk-stuck-in-top-golf-net/ https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/second-red-tailed-hawk-becomes-entangled-in-net-at-florida-topgolf-driving-range https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article280353029.html

The cost of removing birds tangled in the netting is often shouldered by city agencies (tax payers) or private animal rescue organizations.

No, none that we are aware of.

Without access to a proper environmental study it's hard to know for certain, but it's safe to assume that TopGolf’s bright stadium lights would likely attract termites during swarming season, especially given their operation hours extending late into the night.

Yes. Light pollution affects bird migration, bats, insects, traffic safety, and even the sleep of nearby residents. Without an environmental study we cannot know the extent of the impact or best ways to mitigate its impact. Example photos of TopGolf facilities at night are available on TopGolf's website or through a Google search. The existing TopGolf facility in Baton Rouge is also expected to be a close visual comparison. TopGolf has stated they intend to turn off the outfield lighting outside of business hours (possibly after 1 am) but other lighted areas such as parking lots will remain on after hours. Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/timnath-voters-block-topgolf-building-northern-colorado/ https://winknews.com/2021/11/18/fort-myers-topgolf-under-fire-for-potentially-dangerous-lights/ https://boisedev.com/news/2022/11/30/topgolf-meridian-lighting/

TopGolfs around the country regularly have outdoor music and live events. According to reports and reviews from other TopGolf facilities, neighbors regularly have complaints about the loud music and guest noise coming from the open-air facilities.

TopGolf claims they expect to pay roughly $3 million in taxes to New Orleans per year. This is a large number, to be sure, but when you think about that number across the 12.5 acre site, is it? A medium-sized grocery store can generate $25-$30 million in gross revenue. Food is taxed at 4.5% and other goods at 9.5%. The average grocery encompasses about an acre of land. We’ll leave it to the economists to do the math; we’re just volunteers trying to do right by the residents of our neighborhood and this city. But, how many other entities could be generating revenue on this 12.5 acre plot of land through property, sales and employee income taxes? It seems from an economic impact perspective, the land could be better utilized.

No, TopGolf is not exempt from taxes. It appears that since the parcel of land itself is publicly-owned, the land is not taxable but improvements made upon it are. TopGolf is expected to pay typical business taxes. A new 2% incremental sales tax is planned for the River District but it currently appears decisions regarding spending of those funds is at the discretion of the River District committees and decisions can be made without city input.

TopGolf has stated they will employ about 400 people. The vast majority will be hourly service industry jobs which will be above minimum wage with tips. Some jobs will be salaried (e.g. managers). As a simple point of comparison, the average grocery store covers roughly 40-50,000 sq. ft. (about 1 acre if single-story) and could employ upwards of 150 people. (Data from FMI and online news reports of Publix store openings). With this basic comparison, TopGolf’s facility could employ about 32 people/acre while businesses like a grocery store could employ over 130 people/acre. It seems from a job-creation perspective, the land could be better utilized.

We don’t know for sure. At the January 30 town hall, they said they were not able to attract a grocery store to the site, so the grocery store would have to be on the river side of Tchoup. We know that grocery stores count rooftops (proverbially speaking) in a radius around a potential store site. Since the lake side of Tchoup has The Saulet and the Delaneaux and hundreds of LGD houses and apartments, we’re pretty sure that would be more attractive to a grocery store than the river side of Tchoup with 900 housing units, probably somewhat seasonally occupied. This makes us skeptical of RDNI’s explanation.

The developers of the proposed Omni Convention Center hotel are led by Dallas-based Matthews Southwest. TopGolf is headquartered in Dallas. Dallas-based Cypress Equities is part of the RDNI consortium. While it may be purely coincidence, Dallas-based companies are involved in many aspects of the River District development. It is unknown whether these business relationships are in the best interests of New Orleanians.

The construction schedule has been requested but has not been provided. A building permit has been issued but is contingent on a number of permissions, including the Melpomene land swap, and does not appear to contain full project approvals such as the poles and netting. Source: https://onestopapp.nola.gov/PrmtView.aspx?ref=0SNWWD#

We have been informed that Louisiana DOTD is conducting a traffic study to assess the impacts of the proposed land swap and development on traffic. However, the developers have already been issued a building permit despite not having confirmation for the street alteration (land swap) or the results of the DOTD study. The developers conducted their own traffic study which was met with skepticism by the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Department of Public Works.

It could have a tremendous impact, depending on what happens with the proposed Melpomene Street land swap which would reroute part of Melpomene and place it nearer to the CCC exit ramp. The proposed location comes in extremely close proximity to the confluence of Tchoupitoulas, the CCC’s off and on-ramps, Calliope, Melpomene and Convention Center Blvd, and access to the port among other vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In fact, in 2022, the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Department of Public Works both expressed skepticism about the traffic study that the developers conducted.

The proposed land swap would shorten the distance between the CCC off ramp and Melpomene Street, so there likely will be occasional backups of vehicles exiting from the West Bank onto Tchoup due to new traffic never seen before at that spot.

TopGolf is a publicly-traded company headquartered in Dallas, TX and owned by Callaway Golf under the name TopGolf Callaway Brands. TopGolf facilities are typically sports entertainment complexes that include golf (a multi-level driving range, equipment rentals, and sales), food and beverage, and music. While a majority of their locations feature full outdoor driving ranges and containment netting (the proposed style for the River District), TopGolf owns and operates many smaller golf “lounges” featuring only indoor simulator bays.

A new neighborhood concept designed to use the underdeveloped or empty land in the Lower Garden District near the river to integrate convention business with work and residential life.

River District Neighborhood Investors, LLC is a private company that was granted the opportunity to develop the Convention Center’s property in the area of the Lower Garden District now known as the River District. The company is made up of Developer Members, “Limited” Members, and Outside Equity Investors. RDNI, LLC will be the “landlord” and financial beneficiary of public land.

The Lower Garden District Association is a neighborhood association founded in 1972 as the Coliseum Square Association, and is dedicated to preservation of historic buildings and quality of life in the Lower Garden District. To read more about the history of the LGDA, visit here.

A Text Amendment changes or amends the text of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO). Normally, a zoning change is accomplished on an as-needed basis. If someone is building a hotel, for example, they will bring their plans to the City along with a list of zoning changes they need to their specific parcel(s) of land. The City Planning Commission’s staff will evaluate these specific requests, make their recommendations to the Commission, and the Commission will consider each change in a public meeting. The public is aware of what is coming because it is in “black and white” before approval. A zoning change through text amendment is in many ways the opposite of the above normal procedure. Using the same hotel example, the developer may instead have the opportunity to achieve all the zoning changes their project would require at one time, through a text amendment, with no project particulars required. There would be no specific development commitment or discussion of project details required, and since it is very difficult to garner public opposition to what could be built under new up-zoned permissions, it sidesteps the rights to public input. When the final project is finally presented, it is too late for public opposition, no matter how loud and heartfelt the opposition is. Since the new permissions granted by a text amendment are “by right”, a text amendment zoning change causes: a significant opportunity for “bait and switch” a nearly complete loss of leverage for the City and residents In the case of TopGolf, a vague text amendment to the Convention Center Neighborhood Overlay District was added in January 2023 to allow 175 ft screening and poles for outdoor amusement or sports facilities for public safety purposes (TopGolf was not mentioned). In effect, this text amendment eliminated the rights of neighbors to voice direct opposition. https://nola.gov/zoning-text-amendment/

Neighborhood Participation Program (NPP). It’s a provision with city planning that requires people living within a certain distance from the project be notified of the plans. A meeting is held by the developers and residents are allowed to comment on the impact of the project and offer suggestions. The City Charter says the NPP process “shall provide for timely notification” and “meaningful neighborhood participation” in a project. The clear intent is that the neighborhood should still be able to affect the outcome of a project, rather than just be told about it after it is already approved. For more information about the NPP process visit: https://czo.nola.gov/article-4/#4-2-D-2 https://nola.gov/next/city-planning/programs/neighborhood-participation-program/ Specific to the River District, see 18.24.B.3 Project Neighborhood Participation Program (Project NPP) Requirements https://czo.nola.gov/article-18/