A former downtown church is turning into a trendy dining hall. Could a hotel follow?

The developer bringing a dining hall and entertainment complex to downtown Myrtle Beach could add a hotel in future years, city leaders learned on Tuesday.

Steve Burgess, managing partner of North Carolina-based Mayfair Street Partners, said his firm plans to expand its ROAR concept into multiple cities but wants its next venue to open inside what once was the First Presbyterian Church along Kings Highway.

ROAR is a multi-level dining hall, nightclub and indoor gaming site in downtown Winston-Salem that opened in 2021.

The 1300 N. Kings Highway building is within sight of Myrtle Beach’s iconic oceanfront hotels and has been seen as a catalyst for larger-scale economic development. City leaders considered buying the building in 2018 for $2.8 million, but the deal never materialized.

Burgess said he plans to keep the exterior largely intact — a tribute to its original use.

“We are a big protector of historical buildings. That’s our main business, so we actually become the landlord and tenant at the same time,” Burgess told the council.

No timeline was given for the venue’s opening, but a second phase could lead to lodging and a parking structure along 13th Avenue N., assistant city manager Brian Tucker said.

“Potentially phase two down the road would be a hotel component. If they get to the hotel component that would be almost be treated as an extension of the current facility,” he said.

Myrtle Beach leaders voted unanimously Feb. 28 to rezone .32 acres from a commercial use to amusement, clearing the way for a similar venue here. Mayor Brenda Bethune recused herself because her husband, Brown, is a real estate agent working on the project.

“The relationship with the church to get to this stage has been excellent,” Burgess said. “We’re at the stage now where all funds are sitting in escrow. We’re waiting for the vote today and then the deal will be closed this afternoon.”

Officials have spent months discussing the project, with the council in October declaring the 74-year-old church abandoned. That gave Burgess the chance to get tax breaks of up to 25 percent on both property value and income spread over eight and three years, respectively.

To be eligible, developers need to put at least $250,000 worth of investment into the site.

Despite the city’s strong support, some council members said they understood the sensitivity of converting a church for recreational use.

“This may seem to some like an easy vote, it’s not an easy vote. This is a building where many of us attended funerals, weddings, most importantly the christening of our childen but we all must remember that memories do not reside in an edifice, they reside in our hearts,” councilman Phil Render said.