D CEO magazine’s Commercial Real Estate Awards program for 2014 chose TopGolf, The Colony as the winner in the Best Retail Project category.

With business booming at its two other North Texas locations, TopGolf began looking for a third site in 2012. It tapped Luke Wilson and Terry Syler of The Retail Connection to help. The brokers evaluated 15 locations, culling through piles of market statistics and demographics. The trick was to find something in the northern path of growth, but not so close as to cannibalize TopGolf’s existing facility in Allen.

Negotiations were underway on a site when TopGolf hired a new real estate director, Zach Shor. The search ultimately was refocused to the State Highway 121 corridor, particularly a stretch near where Nebraska Furniture Mart’s massive DFW store is under construction. The Colony stepped forward with a compelling incentives package, and a decision was made.

Shor says working with The Colony was a breeze. “If I could copy and paste them all over the country, I’d do it,” he says. “They’re incredibly easy to work with and a very fun group. I’m in 40 markets, and they are atypical.”

TopGolf’s venue in The Colony—its new prototype—opened in November 2013, and performance is already exceeding expectations. Along with Nebraska Furniture Mart, TopGolf is helping to create a brand new retail trade area, Shor says: “The whole area is just continuing to grow, and can only get better.”

Read the full article online at dmagazine.com.