Construction is underway to add a couple hundred extra feet to the North end of the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, and business owners say they hope to see more extensions in the future.
“It’s the greatest thing that could happen to our area,” said Victor Shamah, owner of The Bowery restaurant.
For business owners like Victor Shamah, adding 220 more feet to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is the best thing that’s happened to the city in the last ten years.
“Of course, everybody knows our Boulevard has narrow sidewalks, so it just gives an extra place for people to walk to the areas they want to get to, and it’s a beautiful view, we have the best view in the world you know,” said Shamah.
That extra place to walk will extend to the new Hilton hotel on 16th Avenue North. City officials say the number of investments in the oceanfront area helped make the extension happen.
“We’ve seen literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new private investment that’s come a long that section of ocean boulevard,” said City of Myrtle Beach spokesperson Mark Kruea.
And who’s paying for this addition? “There’s a new ocean 16 Hilton hotel going in there and they said we will pay to extend the boardwalk,” said Kruea.
And, businesses like Shamah’s restaurant aren’t the only ones that will benefit. Locals and tourists will too.
Myrtle Beach Redevelopment Corporation Executive Director Lauren Cleaver says the boardwalk addition gives them an opportunity to connect to the area, whether it’s concerts or going to dinner, or just to do some shopping and usual vacation things.
For now, Shamah hopes they’ll keep adding on.
“I think they should expand it all the way from Springmaid Pier all the way to the Sea Captain’s House on about 29th or 30th Avenue North. That would be wonderful,” he said.
