WMBFNews.com | Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC | News, Weather, SportsStudents propose redevelopment ideas for Fantasy Harbour

Students propose redevelopment ideas for Fantasy Harbour

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – Some Coastal Carolina University students have a few ideas about what could attract visitors and be successful in the Fantasy Harbour area of Horry County.

The students presented their ideas Thursday to complete a long-term assignment in their tourism planning class at Coastal. Dr. Taylor Damonte’s students split into small groups to work on the project. Each group created a plan to develop the area currently occupied by Freestyle Music Park.

For sake of the assignment, the students assumed the land was vacant. However, their plans had to fit into the restrictions of the property line. They also were required to target tourists and include at least one type of lodging on site.

Several groups designed plans for resorts. Others planned facilities such as arenas or sports complexes with adjacent hotels.

Coastal seniors Katie Novak and Keenan White were part of a group that planned a resort which included a condo/hotel and several surrounding attractions. Those attractions included an indoor water park, a shopping plaza, restaurants, a children’s activity center, and a nightclub and sports bar.

The students researched how much the attractions would cost to build and how successful they would be at attracting business. While the students targeted tourists in their hypothetical development plans, they said some of the ideas could actually be built in the Fantasy Harbour area.

"I definitely think the indoor water park would be a great amenity to add to that site," Novak said.

Novak pointed out that the water park could also be an attraction for people who live in the Fantasy Harbour area. The idea of developing a shopping and dining area could also appeal to residential neighbors, she said.

“The biggest concern for our project was lodging and guests, and then outside of that what other stuff can we attract for the public and locals,” White said.

Kathleen Lusardi lives in the Arrowhead neighborhood just down the road from Fantasy Harbour, and she agreed a mixed-use shopping and dining area would attract people who live nearby. She said she’d like to see something like Market Common at Fantasy Harbour.

“People are walking in the park, walking their dogs, going shopping at Piggly Wiggly or going to the movies.” Lusardi said. "That's such a wonderful thing to have - that whole flow of life. [We] could probably bring something like that over here."

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