The Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees voted “yes” to a new performing arts center in Myrtle Beach’s Superblock area.
The board made the decision on Thursday, which gives CCU’s president the ability to move forward with negotiations for the project.
On Tuesday, Myrtle Beach City Council approved to move forward with the sale if CCU agreed to the deal.
The total project will cost $6.6 million dollars. The city will borrow $5.1 million and use $500,000 from the amended Santee Cooper franchise agreement.
The Downtown Redevelopment Corporation will pay nearly one million dollars to buy the properties.
The city will then become the landlord and will be responsible for maintenance and repairs. The city will be guaranteed 30 performances a year as long as they don’t conflict with CCU’s uses. CCU will pay $95,000 in rent after five years.
Talk of the Superblock isn’t over. Back in January of 2017, former Mayor John Rhodes announced that a new library and children’s museum will come to the Superblock area.
City leaders said property owners voluntarily gave up their property for the project, but at one point the city approved the use of eminent domain to take certain properties. The city said they never used that process.
The city partnered with Edventure for the children’s museum to come to the Superblock, but Monday, they announced their new location will be at The Market Common.
City leaders said they’ve talked to the president and CEO of Edventure, Lisa Hailey, and said this is a temporary location.
“We had communication with her and she still stated that she’s interested in being a part of whatever the effort may be downtown. If it is a fit for the children’s museum or Edventure, then they want to be apart of that.”
The city is still working with a downtown consultant, who will give their final master plan in February 2019.
The City of Myrtle Beach posted a statement on Facebook on Thursday, saying:
The Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees agreed Thursday to partner with the City of Myrtle Beach on a performing arts center. City Council approved a motion Tuesday which allowed the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation to purchase three buildings on Main Street for a shared performing arts center, if CCU’s board approved the concept. That vote came today, so the DRC will purchase 807, 809 and 811 Main Street for $1 million. Illustrations shown here are examples, only, of how the theater might look, and not the final designs.
The Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees agreed Thursday to partner with the City of Myrtle Beach on a performing arts center. City Council approved a motion Tuesday which allowed the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation to purchase three buildings on Main Street for a shared performing arts center, if CCU’s board approved the concept. That vote came today, so the DRC will purchase 807, 809 and 811 Main Street for $1 million. Illustrations shown here are examples, only, of how the theater might look, and not the final designs.