BRIGHTON, N.Y. — A proposal to introduce Top Golf to Brighton is gaining momentum. 

The potential golf and entertainment destination would be situated behind the Costco in CityGate. More restaurants and possibly a hotel could be added onto the city’s portion. News10NBC’s Eriketa Cost discussed the proposal and its implications with Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle.

Moehle expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting his long-standing desire to develop the land, a goal that has been unfulfilled for over a decade due to various stalls, including the death of the original CityGate developer. 

The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency will vote on the tax incentives on Tuesday, May 21.

“The tax abatement will be in excess of four million dollars, so it’s a significant amount of money, but of course they will be paying those payments in lieu of taxes over that time,” Moehle said.

Top Golf combines dining and a driving range under one roof. Currently, there’s only one Top Golf in New York State, located on Long Island.

“People are going to come to Top Golf from around the area,” said Moehle. “But the other thing I think is attractive, is when people come to Rochester for various reasons, like the Lilac Fest right now. This will be one more thing people can do while they’re in Rochester,” Moehle said.

A spokesperson for one of the developers, Westfall Brighton SRE LLC, said he’s excited about the opportunity. 

On the COMIDA application, developers predict an economic impact of $10 to $20 million, 80 hitting bays, 375 parking spots and about 250,000 visitors annually.

But not everyone is on board for the tax incentives. County Legislator Rachel Barnhart expressed skepticism in a letter to COMIDA, cautioning against trusting employment predictions from Top Golf, and questioning the appropriateness of subsidies for retail projects. 

“TopGolf has a history of inflating employment projections. A 2021 press release for its Long Island location claimed there would be 500 jobs. Yet the following year, the Brookhaven IDA reported the venue employed only 159 full-time equivalents,” said Barnhart.

The COMIDA application said 300 permanent jobs are expected, along with 150-200 construction jobs.

Barnhart also urged COMIDA to conduct a full, independent analysis of the proposal.

COMIDA is scheduled to vote on the tax incentives on May 21, with a public hearing set for Thursday at the Brighton Town Hall. If approved, developers aim to complete the project by summer 2025.

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