New businesses coming to ‘Mosaic Town Center’ development in Pooler

[ajc100890]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

How can you get additional access to 16? The exit is literally right there. It wouldn’t make any sense to have an additional exit right there, it’d be much too close to the current exits. Unless they’re referring to widening the road.

From what I recall, they wanted another curb cut to Pooler Pkwy, too close to the interchange with 16.

[GA Survivor]

Another curb cut would be impossible. I have also heard they were looking for some tax breaks and reduced or free land to go there. I also have heard they went up on the price of the sites and that was part of Chick Fil-a & Starbucks backing out. Both are rumored to be looking at sites on the other side of 16 closer to St. Joe's new campus.

[Newsboy]

All those new apartments and town homes going up along both sides of I-16 from Pooler Parkway and I-95 are impressive however ...

[Johnathon Hills]

Originally Posted by ajc100890

I've also heard that Top Golf may be looking at the corner of Chatham Parkway and Chatham Center Drive up against 16.

Not to doubt what you're saying, but I don't think the area is large enough to be on Top Golf's radar. Charleston should get one well before Savannah would. Jax has had one for about two year now and their metro is over 1.5m.

[ajc100890]

Originally Posted by Johnathon Hills

Not to doubt what you're saying, but I don't think the area is large enough to be on Top Golf's radar. Charleston should get one well before Savannah would. Jax has had one for about two year now and their metro is over 1.5m.

Decision to open a location isn't purely a function of population, but generally also considers other demographics like tourism population (disposable income), education, proximity to golf destinations, and proximity to major interstates.

Augusta is getting one, albeit scaled down, with a metro of 600k. That being said, it has a large educated population with medical and IT. Their site is well situated on I-20. Huntsville, AL and Myrtle Beach, SC have them too. In the case of Huntsville, they have a smaller MSA but a large educated population. Myrtle Beach has recreational golf and is a tourism mecca.

TopGolf was talking to the Mosaic developer. That much is well known.

Savannah is well positioned with 13 million tourists a year (thus moving to Chatham Parkway situates the site closer to tourists who want something to do in the evenings). We have a large golf presence to boot. Also, while not included in the Savannah CSA, HHI-Bluffton is close enough it would draw people to Top Golf and has a metro population of 225K.

[BrandonCoombes]

Originally Posted by ajc100890

Decision to open a location isn't purely a function of population, but generally also considers other demographics like tourism population (disposable income), education, proximity to golf destinations, and proximity to major interstates.

Augusta is getting one, albeit scaled down, with a metro of 600k. That being said, it has a large educated population with medical and IT. Their site is well situated on I-20. Huntsville, AL and Myrtle Beach, SC have them too. In the case of Huntsville, they have a smaller MSA but a large educated population. Myrtle Beach has recreational golf and is a tourism mecca.

TopGolf was talking to the Mosaic developer. That much is well known.

Savannah is well positioned with 13 million tourists a year (thus moving to Chatham Parkway situates the site closer to tourists who want something to do in the evenings). We have a large golf presence to boot. Also, while not included in the Savannah CSA, HHI-Bluffton is close enough it would draw people to Top Golf and has a metro population of 225K.

Then why is Augusta getting one? One week of the masters doesn’t justify the cost imo... going by the same reasoning, Savannah has SCAD and much more affluent residents. And we all know the correlation between money and knowledge. These are things I ask myself all the time. Certain cities near Augusta would still be better choices. Columbia, Savannah, Columbus, even Athens would be a better option imo. Same goes with an Apple Store. All those cities don’t have one and would have been a better choice. I just don’t understand it.

[ajc100890]

Originally Posted by BrandonCoombes

Then why is Augusta getting one? One week of the masters doesn’t justify the cost imo... going by the same reasoning, Savannah has SCAD and much more affluent residents. And we all know the correlation between money and knowledge. These are things I ask myself all the time. Certain cities near Augusta would still be better choices. Columbia, Savannah, Columbus, even Athens would be a better option imo. Same goes with an Apple Store. All those cities don’t have one and would have been a better choice. I just don’t understand it.

As I listed in my previous comment, tourism is probably just one criteria among several such as visibility from I-20, a largely educated medical sector and IT sector, and a large, local golf enthusiast community. The Masters honestly probably had no bearing on the decision.

The problem with Savannah is that large buildable (i.e. not wetlands, not in a flood plain, not contaminated) sites with adequate infrastructure and proper zoning are almost gone. And if you have one of the few sites still left, you ask an arm and a leg for it. As I said, Top Golf is interested in Savannah. In fact, they probably want to be in every major market, it's just a matter of when, not if.