First Phases of Myrtle Beach Boardwalk on Schedule for March Completion
By Christina Knauss
Unusually cold temperatures, rain and even a freak snowstorm haven’t slowed down work on the boardwalk that is transforming 1.2 miles of Myrtle Beach’s oceanfront.
As of Feb. 22, work on the boardwalk, which extends from the Second Avenue Pier to the 14th Avenue Pier, is on schedule, according to Koribrett Turner-Vaught, executive assistant for the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation. She said the four inches of snow that fell on the Grand Strand Feb. 12 was a surprise, but didn’t slow down the work.
Workers from Conway-based M.B. Kahn Construction have been on site seven days a week recently. The north section, from 14th Avenue to roughly Eighth Avenue North, is nearing completion.
Most recently, extensive work is being done on the central section of the boardwalk, which extends from Plyler Park to Eighth Avenue North.
Work is also moving along on the south section, known as the “South Promenade,” which runs from Eighth Avenue North to First Avenue North, just south of the pier.
Turner-Vaught said plans call for the north and central sections to be “substantially complete” by March 25.
She said according to the terms of the contract, that means those sections of the boardwalk should be pedestrian-ready by that date. Any work left to do at that point shouldn’t affect someone’s ability to use the boardwalk in those sections.
Turner-Vaught said city officials will meet with the contractor once the March deadline arrives to make sure the first two sections are complete according to the terms of the contract.
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The target date for completion of the south section is June 15. That section takes longer because workers are essentially completing two separate construction projects there: installation of stormwater header pipes and then the wooden boardwalk itself.
Each section is designed to have its own personality. The north section will be an elevated wooden boardwalk with landscaping to highlight the natural environment. The central section, which will run near existing downtown oceanfront restaurants, bars, and shops, will be more high-energy. The South Promenade is meant to be relaxing, equipped with park benches and signs describing local wildlife.
City officials, members of the business community and the tourism industry all are counting on the boardwalk to be a new draw for visitors to Myrtle Beach hotels.
Brad Dean, president and chief executive director of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the economic impact of the boardwalk has already begun.
“The project brought jobs to the area when we desperately needed them,” Dean said.
Dean said the Chamber has also been receiving increased attention from travel writers who are always looking for a new way to write about established destinations.
“Travel media, both in the U.S. and Canada, are showing a lot of interest in the story, and we initially didn’t anticipate that,” he said. “We’re not the first community to build a boardwalk, but people are finding it interesting from a redevelopment standpoint. They see it as a re-emergence of the downtown Myrtle Beach area and what means to the whole Grand Strand.”
Myrtle Beach City Councilman Randal Wallace said he has visited the construction site and is impressed with the boardwalk’s progress. The next big challenge for City Council, he said, is making decisions about what kind of environment the boardwalk will offer. The key is to cater both to those who are in Myrtle Beach on vacation, as well as retirees, new residents and established locals.
“The business people in the boardwalk area are excited, and we’ve been working especially with those that want to offer a café atmosphere with outdoor dining,” he said. “Right now Council is going back and forth on whether we’re going to allow vending carts. There are some people who want to sell one or two products from little carts, and we’re looking at whether to allow them and where. You don’t want to interfere with the businesses that are already there and have been down there for so many years.”
Wallace thinks the boardwalk will eventually become an outdoor draw for pedestrians similar to the marsh walk near Murrells Inlet, walkways along the river in Georgetown, and shopping attractions such as Broadway at the Beach.
“The boardwalk will have the number one draw in the area, and that’s the ocean,” he said.
This is a wonderful addition to the area. But as someone who has experienced many years of boardwalk traffic and changes in Ocean City, I hope that this doesn’t turn into what OC has. That is why we left and travel to Myrtle Beach.
i hope its as nice as va beach.“THE WEATHER IS HERE,WISH U WERE BEAUTIFUL”