Store openings to begin this week at Coastal North Town Center

Stores at the 368,000-square-foot Coastal North Town Center start opening next week and will bring two stores – Hobby Lobby and Publix grocery store – that can’t be found anywhere else along the Grand Strand.

That’s liable to bring area shoppers to North Myrtle Beach that normally would stick closer to home, said Marc Jordan, CEO of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce.

It will also bring more traffic to the strip of U.S. 17 just north of Gator Hole Plaza, and nearby businesses are hoping that will bring them a piece of the new pie as well.

“It’s going to bring a lot of business,” said Felicia Godbolt, manager of the BBQ House across U.S. 17 from Coastal North.

Dick’s Sporting Goods will be the first to open in the new center, with a three-day fest planned to begin on Friday morning.

On Sept. 15, Hobby Lobby will open its first Grand Strand store in the new shopping center, which was built on the former Robbers Roost Golf Course.

Phil Wilson, head of developer RealtyLink, said that Versona Accessories and Rack Room Shoes also will open in September, followed by Ulta on Oct. 3.

The Publix is expected to open the first week of November, Wilson said, and RealtyLink will stage a grand opening for Coastal North shortly after that.

The center will have other stores, including TJ Maxx, Pet Smart and Ross Dress for Less. Chipotle Mexican Grill will be among its on-site restaurants.

Wilson said there are still a few small spaces left, but he expects they will be leased within a week.

He said Coastal North is one of the largest shopping centers RealtyLink has developed, and it feels good to be near the finish line.

“You take a lot of pride, especially in today’s economy, to pull that many tenants together” and get permits and construction completed, he said.

Godbolt noted that there will be a barbecue restaurant on-site at Coastal North, but she felt sure that word of mouth advertising would draw customers across U.S. 17 to savor her fare.

The center’s construction has been something of a boon as it brought her restaurant a 15 percent increase in business, Godbolt said.

Frank Cook, assistant manager of the neighboring Jiffy Lube, said he hopes to see some increased business from Coastal North shoppers.

“It just depends on the flow of traffic,” he said.

Jordan noted that the center’s construction has added lanes to U.S. 17 and he said that could help the traffic move better on that section of the busy highway.

Coastal North and its variety of stores new to the North Strand shows North Myrtle Beach is maturing as a community, Jordan said.

He praised RealtyLink’s investment in the city and said that along with the new stores will come new jobs.

Cook said he expects Jiffy Lube to see a steady increase in business once Coastal North is up and running. The slow but sure pace will be the best way to expand, he said, “because we’re already a busy store.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2014 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Store openings to begin this week at Coastal North Town Center."