This popular Myrtle Beach restaurant is getting bulldozed. What will take its place?

Adam Benson

An award-winning downtown Myrtle Beach business faces imminent closure as part of a taxpayer-funded road reconfiguration.

Black Thai Restaurant and Lounge was notified by state transportation officials Nov. 14 it would have to clear out of its 710 Main St. location by Dec. 22.

The move is needed to accommodate a $14 million realignment of U.S. Highway 501 from Broadway to 7th Ave N — one of 20 projects being funded by RIDE III.

Voters in 2016 voted for RIDE III as a dedicated round of funding to fix roads across the county, approving a one-cent sales tax that took effect on May 1, 2017 and is expected to raise $592 million by the time it sunsets in 2025.

According to a RIDE III dashboard, right-of-way acquisitions are currently underway for the project. No construction date has been provided.

The proposed project is expected to provide numerous upgrades for the area, according to Horry County’s website:

  • Replacement of a skewed U.S Highway 501 southern approach at Broadway with a more direct alignment to improve lane assignments and traffic flow.

  • Combining three intersections into one to reduce congestion resulting from closely spaced intersections

  • Improving driver guidance at several locations by replacing unconventional routing with a more traditional, grid-like system

  • Improving pedestrian accessibility with more dedicated crosswalks and pedestrian routes

  • Improving use of space by allowing existing U.S. Highway 501 to be repurposed under a separate project.

  • Reconstruction of an existing section of U.S. Highway 501 to accommodate pedestrian access, green space, parking, redevelopment and other uses.

A letter pinned to the door says Horry County “tendered payment” to the state Department of Transportation in late October to purchase the property, although publicly available land records show no evidence of a deed transfer.

County spokeswoman Mikayla Moscov said state transportation officials had the information, but the agency did not immediately provide it.

The letter, signed by S.C. DOT relocation manager Fran Bickley, was also sent to Horry County RIDE III administrators and executives at Michael Baker International, a Pittsburgh-based engineering firm.

Black Thai’s management could not immediately be reached for comment, but the restaurant’s voicemail confirms the situation.

“Unfortunately, we are dealing with the department of transportation trying to bulldoze our building, so we are closed for the time being while we figure this out,” the message says.

County property records show the building is owned by Myra Starnes with a total market value of $111,900.

State transportation officials hosted a public hearing on the project in the spring of 2019. SC DOT spokesman Pete Poore wrote in an email the agency works closely with displaced property owners when necessary.

“SCDOT negotiates directly with property owners and pays fair market value for acquired properties. In the event that an agreement between parties is not reached — the courts decide fair market value,” he said. in an email. “In addition to paying the owner fair market value for the property, SCDOT offers additional relocation assistance for tenants.”

Poore said the agency will work with tenants if additional time is needed to vacate.

“SCDOT is committed to working together with the impacted property owners and tenants to mitigate the challenges of relocation,” he said.

Devin Parks, Myrtle Beach’s economic development manager, said city leaders hope Black Thai can stay local.

“Black Thai is definitely a staple. We want to keep them in the area,” he told The Sun News Nov. 29.

The restaurant opened in 2007 and holds a “Thai Select” designation from the country’s Ministry of Commerce.

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