MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach city leaders are looking to refund Grand Strand Medical Center about $1 million in building fees and expenses, associated with the hospital’s new $50 million project.
The hospital is planning to build new medical offices at its 82nd Avenue campus, a radiation therapy clinic, an inpatient rehab center and housing for about 35 new medical residents. Grand Strand promises to bring nearly 150 new jobs, which Councilwoman Mary Jeffcoat calls a “win for Myrtle Beach. “These jobs are full time, high pay, full benefit and they’ll have a multiplier effect on our economy,” she said.
City Council wants to refund Grand Strand almost a million dollars in building fees and other related expenses the hospital would pay the city, as part of a program to promote business development in Myrtle Beach. “It’s not costing taxpayers or any other businesses any money at all. We’re just rewarding and incentivising the hospital for making this major investment. And we’re doing the same thing for two projects on Ocean Boulevard,” said Jeffcoat.
She says it’s worth it for the city to grant the rebate instead of keeping the money, since it’s hard for the city to attract big companies. “It would take an awful lot of time and effort to get someone from the outside to try so why wouldn’t we incentivize our own,” Jeffcoat said.
Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who also sits on the hospital board, says the incentive program will not take away resources that could be used by other city offices, such as the Myrtle Beach Police Department, which requested about $1 million for 15 new officers. “That has nothing to do with the police department. That’s an incentive for people to come and make an investment in our community,” said Mayor Rhodes.