New Myrtle Beach go-kart amusement park set for summer opening

Construction is underway on a new go-kart amusement park on the south end of Restaurant Row that is scheduled to open by the summer tourism season.

The park, owned by The Track in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is under construction on the former Shrine Club site and will have electric go-kart racing on multi-level tracks, as well as an arcade and a new home for the Shriners. The park plans to open this summer, though officials didn’t give an opening date.

“We’re looking forward to being a part of the Myrtle Beach community,” said Travis Kearney, the park’s general manager. “Our goal is to attract families so that everyone can have a good time when they come to our park.”

The project, which was first proposed in 2014 and initially was criticized by Myrtle Beach’s Community Appearance Board as “beyond tacky,” was overhauled after some neighbors said the development would lessen their quality of life, with light from cars going in and out of the site shining in their homes and noise from the planned gas-powered go-karts.

The developers tweaked the project, overhauling the look of the 15,000-square-foot, two-story building that will house the arcade and switching to electric go-kart racing instead of gas-powered go-karts. They also dropped plans for a Ferris wheel and kiddie boat rides.

The changes haven’t made some neighbors in Grande Dunes feel any better about the project. Grande Dunes is across the Intracoastal Waterway from the park and will face the go-kart tracks.

“We made it clear this was not a matter of whether gas or electric engines were used, we didn’t think that was a compatible use for this particular property,” said George Johnson, division president of LStar Communities that owns Grande Dunes. “Nothing has really changed as far as our opposition to the project. We wish they would go somewhere else.”

The amusement park will feature two electric go-kart racing areas on multilevel tracks, a rookie track and a track for small children.

Asked if some of the race tracks were designed for adults, Kearney responded, “aren’t we all kids at heart?”

The go-karts will run on electricity rather than gasoline, making for a quieter and environmentally friendly atmosphere, Kearney said.

The six-acre site that is the former location of the Shriners Club of Myrtle Beach also includes a 15,000-square-foot, two-story building with an arcade on the ground floor and a new meeting room for the Shriners on the second floor.

Community Appearance Board Chairman Larry Bragg described the initial architectural concept as beyond tacky, but approved of the redesign.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 7:38 PM with the headline "New Myrtle Beach go-kart amusement park set for summer opening."