Empty Myrtle Beach church could be entertainment venue. What happened to previous plans?

Myrtle Beach officials for years have been viewing the an historic church building as key cog in its downtown redevelopment plans, but they can’t seem to make up their minds about what to do with it.

First it was set to become city office space. Then a new charter school as part of a collaboration with Coastal Carolina University. But the former First Presbyterian Church still just looks like an abandoned church.

The latest idea for the property at 1300 N. Kings Highway? A multi-use entertainment venue.

The city council approved language Tuesday certifying the former church building abandoned, opening up tax incentives for redevelopment.

Mayor Brenda Bethune recused herself from voting because her husband Brown Bethune, a real estate broker, is representing the prospective buyer.

City documents show the property is under contract to be purchased by Charlotte-based Golf Venture Holdings LLC.

MyHorryNews.com reported Wednesday the site is being eyed for multi-use entertainment similar to a facility in Winston-Salem, N.C. called Roar, which combines high end restaurants with bowling and golf simulations.

Joseph Correll, an investor involved with the project, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Built in 1948, the church has been essentially vacant since 2019 when a new campus opened along Robert Grissom Parkway.

Previous plans for the church

Located a half mile from the city’s arts and innovation district, officials have been eager to get the 49,995-square-foot building back into use as a catalyst for larger scale economic development in the area.

City officials considered purchasing the property in 2018 for $2.8 million with plans to move housing authority employees into the space, but that deal never materialized, according to previous Sun News reporting.

Then a study privately funded by local businessmen interested in downtown redevelopment determined the former church could best be used in an ongoing effort to bring Coastal Carolina students downtown. The plan called for renovating the church into a charter school and the nearby Chapin Memorial Library into CCU’s graduate school of education.

In 2020, CCU’s governing board approved a memorandum of agreement signaling interest in being part of a potential transformation of the church, but the plan stalled.

“Coastal Carolina University was involved in the conceptual and potential planning discussions for that idea, but was not the lead for the project and, therefore, is not able to speak as to why the project did not move forward,” university spokesman Jerry Rashid told The Sun News.

City spokesman Mark Kruea said the idea never made it past early talks.

“While a school in the downtown area is a good idea, that particular arrangement may not have been the most logical way to achieve that,” he said. “It was an idea that didn’t make it past the idea stage.”

Abandoned benefits

By declaring the church abandoned, developers can claim tax breaks of up to 25 percent both on property value and income spread over eight and three years respectively.

It’s a tool that has been used to spur investment at properties including the 1229 Shine seafood restaurant and Grand Strand Brewing Co.

The tax credit “has seen some great economic benefit for our city,” councilman John Krajc said during Monday’s meeting.