Top Golf’s arrival in the Borderland is not by chance
Top Golf’s arrival in the Borderland is not by chance.
El Paso city officials have been working behind the scenes to bring in big name entertainment attractions.
Top Golf is great for people who live in El Paso and the surrounding cities.
But there is a bigger picture.
City officials are hoping this type of large entertainment attraction will help draw in more business, employees and visitors.
There were plenty of movers and shakers in the crowd of those lucky enough to get a sneak peek at what Top Golf will be offering the Borderland at a preview event Wednesday evening.
El Paso mayor Dee Margo was there.
“You know all this was materializing before we were sworn in, before I was sworn in as mayor. And I have to give credit to my city manager, Tommy Gonzalez, and his staff. He is that one who did this, it was his idea,” Margo said. “He is the one who pushed it, we changed our chapter 380 agreements to allow incentives for business like this.”
Gonzalez and his team have been working on a strategic plan focused on how to draw more dollars in the community.
“If we can bring an attraction into town that draws (people from) some 350, 400 miles, you have more impressions. More people that would come, more people that would spend money, more people that would take advantage of the other amenities that we have,” Gonzalez said.
Top Golf is just latest accomplishment.
“I think the ballpark, the private sector, public private sector opportunities, Dave and Busters, Whole Foods, Ruth Chris, Cabela’s and now your Top Golf. I mean all those things, Alamo Draft House, all those things point to opportunities to grow and develop,” Gonzalez said.
Both the mayor and city manager have traveled to other cities working to educate business leaders about opportunities in the Sun City.
“We are second in the state in fastest growing job growth. And so, that was intentional. In the last two years, there have been more than 16,000 jobs either created or expanded here in this community or retained,” Gonzalez said.
It’s a trend Gonzalez wants to see continue and one he believes will lead to more big entertainment attractions in El Paso’s future.
“We are a big city, we should have big city offerings and I think we can point to that now,” Gonzalez said.
