NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A shopping center in North Myrtle Beach is now in its final phase of expansion. The Coastal North Town Center was originally built in September 2014, with plans to have it built in three phases.
The first two phases are complete and construction for the last expansion project is about half-way done.
“We think by sometime mid-summer, towards the end of the summer everything should be open and that will complete the project,” said North Myrtle Beach spokesperson Pat Dowling.
The shopping center was built on a former golf course, one of the last large undeveloped land areas along Highway 17 and will offer 147,000 square feet of commercial space when complete.
“It’s got great 17 frontage, there was enough property to get the proper SCDOT intersections, stacking lanes and all of that in there too,” said Dowling.
Dowling says the shopping center has already been a big attraction for a growing tourist destination.
“The types of stores that are there draw not only from North Myrtle Beach year round, but Brunswick County; and has stores that Myrtle Beach doesn’t have, so it tends to draw from Myrtle Beach as well.”
Dowling says distinguishing North Myrtle Beach from its neighbors has been a goal for the city, “that’s something I think in the past 5 or 6 years city council has done a good job at, attracting commercial businesses that we may not have had before or may not be in surrounding cities.”
Dowling says the expansion will also bring much needed jobs to the area.
“They’re year round jobs, which is a good thing. We need more of those in North Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand in general,” explained Dowling.
The developer, Realtylink, says the new stores will include a Panera Bread, Home Goods, Burlington,West Marine, and Burkes; along with several smaller retail shops and spa-type offerings.