Top Stone Represents Major Mortgage for Village’s Future as Canton Pushes Asylum Center on Community

The proposed Top Canton LLC development in Canton Township, which includes a Chick-fil-A, Portillo’s restaurant and Topgolf entertainment center, has received unanimous approval from the Canton Planning Commission, clearing the way for construction to begin as early as May 2026 on the first phase of the project.

The development, located just east of Interstate 275 between Ford Road and Warren Road, will be built in two phases. The first phase, which could start construction in May 2026, involves the building of the Chick-fil-A and Portillo’s restaurants north of Ford Road. The second phase, comprising the Topgolf facility, will not begin until early 2026 at the earliest, according to developer Steve Robinson.

The Topgolf component is described as a sprawling lighted driving range offering games and amenities, housed in a 68,000-square-foot, three-level golf and entertainment facility. The project originally included plans for a hotel, but that element was eliminated to preserve wetlands located north of the development and south of Warren Road.

Preserving wetlands was a key factor in the project’s redesign. By removing the hotel, developers were able to reposition the Topgolf facility further south to protect several acres of green space south of Warren Road. The development will feature an emergency-only entrance and exit off Warren Road.

The Canton Planning Commission’s primary concerns during deliberations focused on the timing of traffic signals near the Ford Road entrance to the development and at the intersection of Ford Road and Lotz Road, which lies just east of the development’s main entrance.

Despite the local approval, the project faces uncertainty due to a recent decision by state environmental regulators. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) denied a wetlands-filling permit sought by Top Canton LLC, citing unacceptable disruption to aquatic resources in one of the few remaining high-functioning forested wetland systems in western Wayne County and the Rouge River basin.

As part of their proposal, developers had sought permission to fill more than 7 acres of wetlands, offering mitigation through the creation of 3 acres of forested wetlands on-site and financial contributions to construct 9 acres of wetlands elsewhere in the River Raisin watershed. EGLE’s denial, communicated in a February 19, 2026 letter to developer Steve Robinson, noted earlier objections from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the wetland fill.

The denial has left the future of the Topgolf component uncertain, even as the restaurant portions of the project move forward with planning commission approval. No further details on potential appeals, revised plans, or timelines for resolving the wetlands issue were available in the verified sources.