If you have driven by Uptown or the Red Mountain Expressway and Interstate 59/20 interchange recently, you have likely noticed a new addition to the Birmingham skyline.
In recent weeks, a 170-foot tall golf net has been installed at Topgolf Birmingham, which is under construction along 22nd Street North and 11th Avenue North. The netting is designed to keep golf balls hit from Topgolf's climate-controlled bays inside the 240-yard outfield from becoming an obstacle for motorists.
Topgolf is a high-tech driving range and entertainment venue complete with games, music and food. The complex is slated to open before the end of the year. Topgolf is now seeking to hire 500 workers.
How does the towering golf net compare in height to other structures in Birmingham?
The netting is just 10 feet shorter than the Vulcan statute and pedestal, which is 180 feet tall.
Topgolf's net is approximately 15 stories tall, which is taller than the neighboring nine-story Westin Hotel. The Sheraton Hotel also at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is 17 stories tall.
The netting is far from being the tallest structure in Birmingham. That distinction belongs to Wells Fargo Tower in downtown, which is 34 stories and 454 feet tall.
According to a blog post, Topgolf's net and poles is the highest structure in Alpharetta, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta.
While Topgolf's netting is a prominent feature from the interstate, the netting isn't visible from most nearby residences and doesn't appear to be a concern for most who live there.
"It is quite a huge thing, but I guess it is like everything else, as time progresses it will become almost invisible to you," said Charles Hatcher, vice president of the Norwood Neighborhood Association.
He said that's the price of progress. Hatcher said Topgolf is in a commercial zone and the immediate area is also commercial.
Most residents of the adjacent Norwood neighborhood "are tickled to death" about Topgolf's upcoming opening and the potential impact it could have on the area, said James Clark, secretary of the Norwood Neighborhood Association
"A lot of people are excited that it is going to bring (about 500) jobs," Clark said, adding that Topgolf officials spoke to the neighborhood group. He said they indicated that they like to hire employees from the immediate vicinity.
"We hope that the managers will look at Norwood, Druid Hills and Fountain Heights to buy a house and renovate," he said.
The entertainment facility is also prompting the city to redesign 12th Avenue North to include bike lanes and new lighting and landscaping, he said.
Neighborhood residents also hope that Topgolf will spur other commercial development in the immediate area and possibly the redevelopment of Carraway Hospital.
"It should be a positive move for the neighborhood," Hatcher said. "We need some new businesses coming in. Hopefully it will spur some growth."
Hatcher, who has lived in Norwood for 40 years, said he would like to see more casual restaurants come back to the area.
Clark said he would like to see a reinvestment in Norwood from the city and from businesses. He would like to see the old Carraway Hospital transformed into a mixed-use development with mixed-income residences and retail.