Myrtle Beach eyeing surf park, amphitheater in 2021

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – The city of Myrtle Beach is one step closer to bringing a surf park to the community.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Myrtle Beach City Council unanimously approved a motion to enter into a letter of intent with American Surf Parks to develop a surf park and an amphitheater on city-owned property located behind the Myrtle Beach Sports Center, east of Robert Grissom Parkway, and south of Burroughs and Chapin Boulevard.

According to a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting, the venue will occupy an area of approximately 12 acres, with the surf lagoon being capable of creating up to 1,000 perfect waves per hour.

In addition, the park would also offer a surf school, a surf shop, a restaurant, an adventure park, and a hotel. Developers hope to open it in the spring of 2021, bringing with it an estimated 50 full-time staff positions.

Plans also call for amphitheater on the property that would be capable of accommodating between 5,000 and 15,000 people, according to the presentation.

The proposed lease begins at $180,000 a year, with a 10% escalator every five years, according to information from the city.

Staff estimates the total projected tax revenues from the surf park alone are nearly $450,000 a year for phase one of the project.

Information from Wave Pool Magazine said the park would be called Wavegarden Cove. Phil Dixon at American Surf Parks told Wave Pool the group has been working to bring a surf park to Myrtle Beach since 2016.

The max-sized Wavegarden Cove will cover five acres in the 12-acre development, according to Wave Pool. It will be comparable in size to the Wavegarden Coves opening in Bristol and Melbourne.

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