EVERETT — The Everett Mall is keeping mum on a new “transformative” anchor tenant.
A mall spokesperson declined to confirm or deny a report this week suggesting Topgolf could be coming to the newly imagined mall.
At her annual State of the City speech, hosted at the mall on March 21, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin announced a “top” entertainment anchor would be coming, but didn’t provide specifics. She said the tenant would be announced “in the next few days.”
“This tenant will be transformative, attracting visitors from throughout the country and beyond for positive, family-friendly fun,” Franklin said.
On Monday, MyEverettNews took a swing: “All indicators point towards Topgolf being the unannounced, secret, anchor tenant at the Everett Mall when The Hub @ Everett opens.” The report cited “three different readers who claim they have inside information.”
Mall spokesperson Angelique Ashton said Tuesday she “absolutely can not” confirm or deny that the Topgolf rumor had landed on the fairway.
City spokesperson Simone Tarver also didn’t confirm or deny.
Ashton said the mayor’s timeline may have been overzealous, as she expects an announcement is more likely in the next few months, rather than days.
Asked about Topgolf, she said: “I don’t know how that got out.”
“There’s not much we can say about it because it’s not city business,” Tarver said.
The city is waiting on the incoming tenant to finalize a few things before the city makes an announcement, she added.
Still, an announcement is coming “soon,” Tarver said.
MyEverettNews also noted that Franklin included the word “top” in her announcement.
“The choice to use the word ‘Top’ seems unnatural, likely a pun towards Topgolf,” the article read.
The Everett Mall is getting a makeover, with construction on what is being called “The Hub @ Everett” in its early stages, Franklin said in her address. Renderings of the reimagined mall show a more walkable, outdoor shopping center with seating, green space and new bars and restaurants.
Renderings show LA Fitness, the Burlington Coat Factory and a building behind Floor & Decor, as well as some indoor portions in the middle of the mall, are set to be removed or dramatically altered in the new renderings, to make way for a pedestrian-oriented plaza.
Removing the gym could leave a 14-acre section of the mall land empty, aside from asphalt.
The only full-service Topgolf in Washington is in Renton. It sits on 10½ acres, with a 74,000-square-foot building and a 4-acre driving range, according to King County records. There’s also a Topgolf lounge in Kirkland and an indoor golf simulator facility in Bellevue.
Topgolf is an all-ages entertainment venue, rather than a traditional golf facility, where players hit balls with location-tracking sensors into targets on the driving range. Each venue has a full restaurant and bar with tableside service, according to Topgolf’s website.
Founded in England in 2000, Topgolf has 90 U.S. locations, with other venues in Asia and Europe.
Ashley Nash: 425-339-3037; ashley.nash@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @ash_nash00.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
